05/06/2026
🚨🚨 ‼️ Concern: Noise Impact from the Proposed Inyokern Data Center.
This is lengthy but please bear with me. Clarity with data was my goal.
The RB Inyokern Data Center developer has claimed the data center will be quiet at the property line. What does that really mean?
I was given the enclosed map that was put together using the developer’s own noise numbers from their application. This map visually shows the noise footprint from the proposed data center’s generator and other equipment circulating into the exposed area, focusing on nearby homes, businesses, church, and school.
The referenced number levels are based on standard acoustic modeling using the developer’s own equipment data. They represent expected full-operation conditions.
Real-world results could be somewhat lower with effective mitigation, or different depending on weather and equipment setup. The key point is we won’t know the true impact on nearby homes and the school until detailed studies are done at those actual locations and verified after construction. By then it will be too late.
I have also been provided a link to an Interactive Google Earth Map. This map has been set up and specifically targets the area surrounding the proposed data center. The link is provided in the comments. The really cool part about this link is that you can check the noise level data yourself. Where you live. The most powerful visual of all.
What do the numbers actually mean in real life (decibels are logarithmic — every 10 dB jump feels about twice as loud):
• 91–93 dB (closest homes, The Barn, Ace Hardware): Like a loud motorcycle, lawn mower, or power tools running constantly. At these levels, normal conversation becomes very difficult, prolonged exposure can cause hearing damage fairly quickly, and it can lead to significant stress, sleep disruption, and fatigue.
• 88–90 dB (Classic Burgers, Christ Church): Like heavy traffic right outside your window, nonstop. Communication is strained, and long-term exposure raises risks of hearing loss, irritability, and difficulty relaxing or sleeping.
• 83.9 dB (School): Like busy city street traffic all day — this is close to the level where experts (CDC, WHO, NIOSH) begin warning about potential hearing damage and other health effects with prolonged exposure, particularly for children.
Note: Anything over 85 dB for long periods can damage hearing.
Along with the noise will there be a constant hum? The main constant noise (24/7) will come from the cooling fans and equipment needed to keep the servers cool. Many people near similar data centers describe it as a steady low hum combined with vibrations – something you both hear and feel. Backup generators are only occasional (emergencies and short tests).
What about those vibrations? The noise and vibrations kind of go hand-in-hand but the important thing to note here is low-frequency vibrations travel farther than regular noise and are often felt more than heard. The low-frequency rumble from the cooling equipment can feel different depending on how close you are. In the following I tried to focus only on statements from residents who live next to data centers similar in scope to our proposed data center:
Closest homes, The Barn (800 ft), and Ace Hardware (1,000 ft): Strongest effects here. The pulsing, rumbling, and rattling tend to be the strongest and most noticeable. Many people describe a deep, constant pulsing like a car stereo with heavy bass parked nearby — you feel it strongly in your chest and core, windows and floors may rattle noticeably, and it can feel like an internal vibration or distant heavy machinery that never stops. Very hard to ignore day or night.
Christ Church (1,200 ft) and Classic Burgers (1,400 ft): Still quite noticeable. A steady low rumble or throbbing bass that you feel in your body, with light window rattling possible, especially at night. Similar to a large truck idling a block or two away that never turns off.
School (~2,300 ft): This area is farther out and are weaker but many residents still report a subtle background rumble or uneasy “hum” you feel more than hear. It could be a constant background drone or faint pulsing (like distant bass from a car stereo a couple blocks away), especially at night or during quiet times. During a normal school day with students, voices, and activity, the hum would likely be muffled or drowned out by daily noise — but even then, the low-frequency vibrations could still affect children.
What is the potential impact on children at the school? Even though the sound and vibrations might be partially masked by normal classroom activity during the day, children are often more sensitive to persistent low-frequency noise and subtle rumbling. This can interfere with concentration, learning, and communication during quieter activities like reading, testing, or instruction.
Studies have linked ongoing low-frequency exposure to increased fatigue, difficulty focusing, and disrupted sleep if it continues into evenings. In a normally quiet desert community, this could meaningfully affect students’ ability to learn and feel calm in their environment.
The bottom line. I know we all support jobs and growth in our valley but when it comes to the proposed data center we also need to do our due dilliagence to understand what the impact and ramificaitons of this data center could be including an understanding of how a constant industrial hum and vibration could affect the surrounding area. We need to continue to press for information and answers. In this particular piece of the puzzle we need answers from the developer and the county.
My personal questions and requests for data:
-Can we see full noise and vibration studies of the surrounding area?
-How will they fix it if it’s too strong after it’s built?
I’m sure you have more questions of your own.
Comments and questions such as these need to be submitted to the CEC (Docket 26-SPPE-01) RB Inyokern Data Center (RBIDC) data center proposal. A link to submit your comments, concerns and questions is also provided in the comments.
