Digital Realty's Charlotte Data Center Project Faces Air Quality Permit Scrutiny for Diesel Generators
Digital Realty's new hyperscale data center campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, is facing scrutiny over a proposed Mecklenburg County air quality permit. The permit would allow the company to operate 242 diesel generators as a standby power source, capable of producing 726 megawatts. These generators would be used when the main power supply fails. According to WFAE, the city's public radio station, the permit would allow for the emission of over 100 tons of air pollutants annually, including smog-forming emissions and carbon monoxide. The Charlotte Observer previously described the project as a 156-acre site with two buildings totaling 3 million square feet, designed for up to 400 MW of IT capacity, making it one of North Carolina's largest data centers. Digital Realty is also funding a new substation that Duke Energy will own and operate. The Charlotte City Council rezoned the land in May 2025, and the project was approved before a 150-day moratorium on new data centers was enacted in June 2026.
