EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans

EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans 1 of 5 | Protesters hold signs in opposition of the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration outside a state office in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) 2 of 5 | Cars drive past data centers, July 16, 2023, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) 3 of 5 | Jacob Weinreich and his mother Sharon Metcalf protest the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) 4 of 5 | President Donald Trump, left, speaks during an event with Environmental Protection Agency director Lee Zeldin in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) 5 of 5 | Charolette Baierl, the Ohio River Valley regional organizer for Climate Reality Project, left, and Sally Simpson, a Ford City organizer, protest a planned data center near the Rachel Carson Riverfront Park in Cheswick, Pa., on June 13, 2026. (Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source via AP) 1 of 5 | Protesters hold signs in opposition of the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration outside a state office in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) 1 of 5 Protesters hold signs in opposition of the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration outside a state office in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | Cars drive past data centers, July 16, 2023, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) 2 of 5 Cars drive past data centers, July 16, 2023, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | Jacob Weinreich and his mother Sharon Metcalf protest the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) 3 of 5 Jacob Weinreich and his mother Sharon Metcalf protest the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | President Donald Trump, left, speaks during an event with Environmental Protection Agency director Lee Zeldin in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) 4 of 5 President Donald Trump, left, speaks during an event with Environmental Protection Agency director Lee Zeldin in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | Charolette Baierl, the Ohio River Valley regional organizer for Climate Reality Project, left, and Sally Simpson, a Ford City organizer, protest a planned data center near the Rachel Carson Riverfront Park in Cheswick, Pa., on June 13, 2026. (Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source via AP) 5 of 5 Charolette Baierl, the Ohio River Valley regional organizer for Climate Reality Project, left, and Sally Simpson, a Ford City organizer, protest a planned data center near the Rachel Carson Riverfront Park in Cheswick, Pa., on June 13, 2026. (Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh’s Public Source via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Washington (AP) — A plan by the Environmental Protection Agency could make it harder for the public to learn about and comment on proposed AI data centers that have sparked backlash in communities across the United States and transformed the midterm election landscape.The EPA proposal would eliminate a federal requirement that states notify the public and seek comment before issuing air pollution permits for data centers and other industrial facilities. States could still offer opportunities for public comment, but the EPA would no longer mandate them as a condition for states to grant permits.Critics say the move could thwart local residents from learning about proposed data centers or making their voices heard before projects are approved and construction begins. The move comes during a widespread backlash as tech giants build hundreds of massive server warehouses to fuel artificial intelligence and cloud computing. “By eliminating the long-standing federal requirement for public notice, this proposal continues efforts by the Trump administration to turn its back on the fundamental EPA principle of transparency,” said Mike Koerber, a former deputy director of EPA’s air quality office.If made final, the plan could create “an unlevel playing field where citizens in one state are kept completely in the dark about new data centers and heavy industrial emissions in their backyards, while neighboring states maintain oversight,” he said. Under the EPA plan, states with weak or no requirements for public comment could speed permits for data centers, power plants and other pollution sources without consulting the public or even informing communities where the facilities are located, Koerber and other critics said.