Letters to the Editor: Lawmakers need to take noise into consideration in data center regulations

To the editor: One important consideration apparently not included in proposed data center regulations is data center noise (“California lawmakers reach deal in high-stakes fight over regulating data centers,” Aug. 29).

In addition to consuming vast amounts of electricity and water and discharging “forever chemicals” into the water, data center cooling fans produce high-intensity continuous noise day and night, frequently exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe noise exposure levels of 45 decibels.

Data centers should be required to be located far enough away from homes and sensitive environments to avoid the adverse consequences of data center noise pollution.

Daniel Fink, Beverly Hills
This writer is chair of the Quiet Coalition, a program of the nonprofit Quiet Communities Inc., which seeks to address harmful noise.

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To the editor: It was encouraging to read that our state is stepping up to ensure California ratepayers, who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation, won’t also have to subsidize electricity for data centers. Ratepayers throughout the state would further benefit by not having to subsidize Pacific Gas & Electric’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant that, according to a recent UC Santa Barbara study, could overcharge California ratepayers by close to $2 billion.

That subsidy allows the nuclear plant to compete unfairly with renewables and forces solar energy facilities to shut down on those many occasions when there’s too much electricity on the grid. Diablo also generates more than 20 metric tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste each year with nowhere to permanently store it. It will take continued bold leadership to hold PG&E accountable for overcharging ratepayers and give Californians the safe, clean energy future they deserve.

Linda Parks, Los Osos