In an aerial view, the IAD71 Amazon Web Services data center is seen in Ashburn, Va., on July 17, 2024. Northern Virginia is the world’s largest and fastest-growing data center market, with Ashburn known as “Data Center Alley” for its dense cluster of facilities. But rising concerns over energy use and land availability have sparked debate among local communities. Nathan Howard/Getty Images
With hundreds of projects before local planners, nondisclosure pacts and tax incentives are spurring suspicion among local residents.
In an aerial view, the IAD71 Amazon Web Services data center is seen in Ashburn, Va., on July 17, 2024. Northern Virginia is the world’s largest and fastest-growing data center market, with Ashburn known as “Data Center Alley” for its dense cluster of facilities. But rising concerns over energy use and land availability have sparked debate among local communities. Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Big Data Centers Are Booming, but Secret Deals Draw Local Opposition
With hundreds of projects before local planners, nondisclosure pacts and tax incentives are spurring suspicion among local residents.
From Georgia to Oregon, New England to New Mexico, data center projects are drawing opposition in local government hearings by residents concerned about the voracious demand for electricity, water consumption, and noise. Critics also argue that data centers don’t produce the jobs other land uses generate.
In Texas, people in small towns question data center development in the broader context of rapid rural industrialization.
