Power at VA Data Center Could Result in $53 Million–$99 Million in Annual Health Damages
Posted by the Piedmont Environmental Council
Posted on March 4, 2026 by Cindy Sabato
Press Release: New Study Finds On-Site Power at Virginia Data Center Could Result in $53 Million–$99 Million in Annual Health Damages
Analysis shows the health impacts of on-site fossil fuel power at one data center in densely populated Northern Virginia
WARRENTON, Va. (March 4, 2026) – A new independent analysis finds that emissions from the Vantage Data Center’s permitted on-site power system in Loudoun County could result in $53 million–$99 million per year in health-related damages, driven primarily by premature mortality as well as respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
“When large data centers use fossil fuel turbines for power in populated areas, even modest increases in air pollution can have real health consequences,” said Dr. Michael Cork, founder of EmPower Analytics Group and a Harvard-affiliated health scientist. “Our analysis shows that emissions allowed under this facility’s permit could lead to up to $99 million a year in health-related damages.”
