National View: What's it like to live next to a data center? I live near six
An opinion piece from a Reston, Virginia resident reflects on living near six data centers, noting a lack of widespread community complaint despite initial concerns about noise or appearance. The author suggests lessons for other cities like Hermantown, advocating for openness, collaboration with developers, and integrating data centers into town planning. While there has been some community opposition to a CoreSite expansion, it is described as less intense than other local political issues.
Paul Steidler, a Reston, Virginia resident, writes about his experience living near six data centers in the master-planned community. Despite Reston's history of shunning noisy or unsightly industries and a strong environmental ethos, Steidler notes that the data centers have generated virtually no controversy among the community's more than 60,000 residents over the past three decades.
Steidler recently toured the exteriors of the six facilities, observing that they operate quietly, without plumes, and blend well into their designated business areas. Three of the data centers are owned by CoreSite, with one, VA3, being among the largest globally and currently undergoing a 30% expansion. This expansion has elicited some community opposition, though Steidler characterizes it as