VA Data Centers May Rely On Generators To Save Grid

How do you save the power grid for all who rely on it when energy emergencies arise? That’s just the question Virginia environmental regulars are tackling. They are currently trying to make it easier for all the data centers in the northern reaches of the state. If they utilize diesel generators, residential customers will face less or no outages.
 
The power infrastructure is old and overburdened. Standby generators are becoming more and more common as they are more reliable than the power grid itself. California and Virginia are early states looking at changes to take precautionary steps to protect the region's power grid.
 
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) plan states data centers can switch to generators to reduce strain on the grid. This frees up more electricity for residential customers. The measures would be put into action in the event of an emergency declaration by PJM Interconnection. This agency oversees the regional power grid on the East Coast.

Power challenges in Northern Virginia have been causing havoc in the region since last summer. Dominion Energy began informing data centers that power for new facilities in Eastern Loudoun County will be delayed until 2026. The delay is due to bottlenecks in the utility’s transmission infrastructure which has not kept pace with growth in the region.
 
The language in the DEQ proposal says after limiting new data center connections, the region's grid could still face challenges in the coming months.
 
"An area in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties has been identified in which data centers may not be able to obtain enough electricity due to transmission problems anticipated from March through July," the DEQ said in release.

The agency added "the period between March and July 2023 has been identified as a time of potentially acute stress on the transmission capacity of the grid."
 
"Dominion Energy identified the area of stress and timing of this variance need," said Aaron Proctor, Communications Manager for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Dominion said the variance was a precautionary measure while it continues to strengthen the region's transmission system.
 
"Out of an abundance of caution, DEQ proposed the temporary variance as an additional tool for data centers in case it’s necessary," said Aaron Ruby, Manager, Media Relations for Dominion Energy. "To be clear, transmission capacity is not constrained outside of 'Data Center Alley' in eastern Loudoun and does not impact service to residential or small business customers, or any customers outside of the area."
 
"Data center load growth in that area has the potential to cause system constraints," said Daniel Lockwood, Strategic and Shareholder Communications at PJM. "PJM and Dominion are working to build out the transmission system to support this load growth."
 
Dominion is accelerating work on a 500kV transmission line in Southern Loudoun County, which is expected to be completed in 2026. The line will help the transmission bottlenecks that are limiting new connections for data centers in Eastern Loudoun. Ruby said the company has other projects in the works as well.
 
"We’re continuing to develop several near and long-term transmission projects to alleviate the constraints in eastern Loudoun," said Ruby. "The first of the projects will be completed in late June."
 
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Story Summary

What is Virginia proposing?
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed allowing data centers in Northern Virginia to run on diesel generators during grid emergencies to reduce strain on the grid. This would waive restrictions on generator runtime that normally apply.

Why is this being considered?
The rapid growth of data centers as well as homes in Northern Virginia has strained the region's power grid.

What areas would be affected?
The proposal initially covered data centers in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, but was later narrowed to just eastern Loudoun County.

When might this be implemented?
The DEQ identified March through July 2023 as a period of potential "acute stress" on grid transmission capacity.

What are the environmental concerns?
Critics worry about increased air pollution and noise from diesel generators. Diesel emissions can contribute to smog and respiratory issues.

What happened with the proposal?
In April 2023, the DEQ withdrew the proposal after receiving feedback that data centers were unlikely to participate due to technical and regulatory challenges.

What alternatives are being pursued?
Dominion Energy is working on transmission infrastructure upgrades to address constraints. Some have called for demand response programs or other solutions to manage data center power usage during peak times.