Take a look inside a Virginia data center as many US communities fight to keep them out
The article explores the nationwide surge in data centers, driven by AI, which is sparking widespread community opposition due to their high electricity and water consumption. It features a look inside an NTT Data facility in Northern Virginia, while also detailing local resident fights against power infrastructure expansion and federal efforts to streamline permitting.
The article, "Take a look inside a Virginia data center as many US communities fight to keep them out," highlights the growing national backlash against the rapid proliferation of data centers, fueled by the demand for artificial intelligence. These facilities consume significant amounts of electricity and water, leading to community resistance across the U.S.
7News anchor Scott Thuman visited a 112,000-square-foot NTT Data facility in Northern Virginia, one of seven the Japanese company operates in the region. While NTT Global Data Centers head of product management Bruno Bertí detailed the secure operations, the article emphasized the environmental and infrastructural concerns, particularly regarding cooling needs and immense power consumption. A single data center can power 15,000 homes, causing Dominion, Northern Virginia's power company, to project a doubling of peak demand by 2039.
This surge in demand has tangible local impacts, such as homeowner Vicky Hu's struggle against Dominion's plan to erect a 185-foot-tall electrical tower in her backyard for a 500,000-volt transmission line, a plan she and neighbors are fighting before the Richmond Planning Commission. Steven Lim, NTT's VP of marketing, acknowledged the industry's "PR problem" and discussed efforts at community outreach and sustainable practices like closed-loop water systems, also noting that companies often bear substation costs.
Despite community concerns about grid capacity, rising prices, and infrastructure costs, the data center industry benefits from strong financial investment and political support. President Donald Trump, for instance, signed an order to streamline data center permitting, citing economic and national security interests against China. However, the article notes that community opposition has successfully blocked projects in places like Chandler, Arizona, and College Station, Texas, demonstrating the ongoing "digital divide" as many other projects proceed.