RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — Richmond County residents gathered today to protest planned data center developments involving Amazon and Digital Realty ahead of a state public hearing.
The demonstration comes as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality considers two air quality permits related to the construction and operation of a massive data complex.
The Amazon project includes plans for 588 diesel-powered generators to provide emergency backup for the facility.
Additionally, Duke Energy has requested a temporary permit to run 57 generators 24 hours a day for one year until the site’s permanent power system is fully operational.
Local residents have raised concerns regarding a potential spike in noise and air pollution.
Russ Fincham organized the protest to draw attention to the scale of the Amazon project before the public hearing. Fincham noted that the complex will require significant resources to operate.
“Each one of those buildings is going to have 28 diesel generators that use jet engine turbines to run ‘em,” Fincham said. “That’s how much noise and how much power they’re going to draw.”
Krystal Cobbler, a Richmond County resident whose family has lived in the area for six generations, expressed concern about the long-term impact on her property.
“Across from my home is a plot of land that I hope to give my daughter, but it’s like now will she even want to stay there?” Cobbler said.
She noted that current construction activity is already loud and fears the permanent generators will be worse.
“Once the generators get up and going, it’s probably going to be a million times louder than what I’ve heard this morning,” Cobbler said.
Cobbler said the transition from a rural environment to an industrial hub threatens the lifestyle her family enjoys. “I like the peace, and it’s like now we’re not going to have that,” she said.
Amazon stated that the facility’s backup generators are designed to exceed Environmental Protection Agency standards.
The company said these generators run for an average of 10 hours per year and that the facility emits a fraction of the emissions allowed under its permit limits.
The 57 temporary generators mentioned in the Duke Energy permit will be leased from the nearby Smith Energy Complex.
Duke Energy officials said the units are not connected to the electric grid and that Amazon is responsible for all costs associated with running them during the construction phase.
The community concerns follow reports that another company, Digital Realty, purchased 400 acres off County Home Road.
Digital Realty told Channel 9 it is exploring digital infrastructure development, though specific plans for that site have not yet been shared with local leadership.
The public hearing with the Department of Environmental Quality is scheduled for this afternoon. Channel 9 will be inside the meeting as residents share their thoughts with state officials.
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