Limiting Harm from Diesel Generators at Data Centers: Examples and Q&A
As data center development explodes across the U.S., diesel generator capacity at these facilities has nearly tripled from an estimated 20 GW to 55 GW between 2018 and 2025. Virginia alone has permitted over 10,000 units with a combined capacity of >27 GW, enough to power 20 million homes. Hyperscale data centers often have hundreds of diesel generators at a single site. Increasingly, state and federal policies–including the recent order from the US Department of Energy–incentivize their use outside of unforeseen emergencies.
In this webinar and Q&A session, researchers from the Better Data Center Project, Dr. Catherine Casomar and Dr. John Bangsund, will walk through better practices and strategies for limiting harm from diesel generators at data centers. They will outline stronger protections that local community organizers can push for and highlight specific examples of local ordinances and state legislation. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and discussion, so bring your questions!
REPORT: Diesel Generators at Data Centers: Status, Impacts, and Protective Practices
Speaker Bios:
John Bangsund
John Bangsund is an interdisciplinary research scientist focused on energy, the environment, and health. His experience spans multiple labs and startups, including work on solar cells, rapid pathogen detection, and emissions modeling. Since 2025, he has worked with the Better Data Center Project studying emissions from energy and backup power at data centers. He holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Minnesota.
Catherine Casomar
Catherine Casomar is a co-founder of the Better Data Center Project, an organization formed by former federal workers in 2025 to provide technical assistance to communities on the front lines of data center development. She has 15 years of experience in energy and climate and a decade of work advancing equity and justice across sectors. Catherine holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Minnesota and a BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University.
Photo source: ACWA, Flickr.