The EPA announces new guidance that exempts certain power plants used exclusively for data centers from pollution limits designed to prevent acid rain. The change applies to what the EPA describes as “islanded” power plants—facilities that supply electricity only to data centers and do not connect to the broader electric grid. According to reporting from The Hill and Engadget, the Trump administration frames the guidance as clarifying how these self-contained generators fit within existing requirements under the Clean Air Act. The outlets describe the guidance as excluding these grid-independent plants from rules tied to acid rain prevention, which generally regulate emissions such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power generation. While the articles focus on the exemption and the administration’s rationale, they also reflect that the policy is presented as interpretive guidance rather than a separate law. The announcements are made publicly on Monday, with summaries describing the exemption as a step that would allow data-center-related electricity generation to operate outside certain acid rain-related compliance obligations.