FACT

Backup generators are for emergencies only, not everyday power, and they're tightly regulated. Rules limit non-emergency testing to about 100 hours a year, per generator. A 2024 review in Virginia found similar generators actually ran for only about 7% of the emissions they were allowed to produce each year.

How Backup Power Actually Works

Generators don't all switch on together, and they don't run by default. In most cases, none of them turn on at all. Our systems are designed to respond to signals from the grid operator: if the grid is under stress and needs some or all of a site's demand reduced, we can shift to backup power specifically to free up capacity for the wider grid which supports grid reliability rather than adding to demand at the moments it matters most. 

For routine testing, generators are run one at a time, not simultaneously, which keeps both noise and emissions at any given moment far below what a full-site, all-generators scenario would suggest.