A Community Rejected the Build of a US$100 Billion Data Center

[marcus]

From https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/largest-data-center-project-ever-190000713.html
Title : Largest Data Center Project Ever Proposed Is Officially Dead
By Charles Kennedy , July 2026

Poster's Note : Blackstone's market value is approximately $145.8 billion (Google AI , 05 Jul 2026)

Blackstone-owned QTS Realty Trust withdrew its appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court on July 2 (project had "advanced through years of planning, analysis, and public review"), closing out a 3 years' legal fight over the Prince William Digital Gateway, a planned 2,100-acre campus in Prince William County, Virginia that would have packed 37 buildings and 22 million square feet of data centers next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. At full build-out, the project carried an estimated US$100 billion price tag and would have been the largest data center complex in the world...

approval, granted in 2023, was voided by the Virginia Court of Appeals in March, which found the county's public notice for the rezoning hearing fell short of the state's 6 days spacing requirement between newspaper notices...

What the Prince William outcome shows is that even the biggest players in the space can lose a fight over land use once local opposition organizes and the legal process runs its course.

Several states have floated moratoriums or tighter permitting rules as utilities warn that data centers are driving an outsized share of new electricity demand, and grid operators in some regions have started asking developers to bring their own power generation rather than compete for scarce capacity. A Gallup survey released in May found 71% of Americans oppose data center construction in their area, with 48% strongly opposed, running higher than opposition to a local nuclear plant...

 

[snpark]

Now complain when your internet is slow or FB is down. Lol.

 

[snpark]

If everyone stopped posting their dinner pics we could have our old fast bandwidth back

 

[harryopal1]

Such enormous data centres would seem incredibly vulnerable were there a conflict with sabotage and attacks by drones possibly causing billions of dollars in damage and potentially disabling much military capability. Great possibilities for criminals to quietly place a drone somewhere and threaten to explode it unless a huge amount is paid as blackmail.

I have also seen reports that these huge centres create an intrusive and never ending hum for anyone in the neighbourhood.

 

[snpark]

They are also very hot which is why they are being built in the artic or one smart farmer somewhere cold used the heating to heat his chicken coops industrial scale. Since half his utility bills were on heating. Now he has free heat for his billion chicken breeding and incubation

 

[Bob]

Now complain when your internet is slow or FB is down. Lol.

Not that that data center would have made much of a difference in internet service, but that area is infested with data centers already. They're not hurting for interwebs.

 

[Bob]

Such enormous data centres would seem incredibly vulnerable were there a conflict with sabotage and attacks by drones possibly causing billions of dollars in damage and potentially disabling much military capability. Great possibilities for criminals to quietly place a drone somewhere and threaten to explode it unless a huge amount is paid as blackmail.

I have also seen reports that these huge centres create an intrusive and never ending hum for anyone in the neighbourhood.

It's, um, interesting that the DC area with it's high dollar real estate has so very many huge data centers (with very high security), This would have been another.

 

[marcus]

From https://www.gurufocus.com/news/8959...billion-as-data-centers-drive-63-billion-cost
Title : PJM Power Auction Hits $16.4 Billion as Data Centers Drive $6.3 Billion Cost
By Khac Phu Nguyen , July 2026

PJM Interconnection, the operator of the largest U.S. electric grid serving 13 states and Washington, D.C., is facing rising pressure as power-hungry data centers push electricity demand beyond the pace of new supply...

The grid came up 6.8 gigawatts short of the capacity needed during periods of peak demand, an amount equivalent to the output of almost 7 traditional nuclear reactors...

Regulatory attention may intensify at a July 23 commission conference focused on PJM's governance, rising power bills and delays in connecting data centers and generators to the grid. With PJM power prices rising 76% in the first quarter due to strong data-center demand, investors may view the widening supply imbalance as an important factor for the utility, power-generation and grid-infrastructure sectors.

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Thailand Plans Higher Power Tariffs for Data Center Owners (Bloomberg , Jul 2026)

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New York became the first U.S. state on Tuesday to halt construction of large new data centers, imposing a one-year moratorium as concerns grow that the facilities driving the artificial-intelligence boom are raising power costs, straining water ‌supplies and burdening local communities... (https://www.reuters.com/world/new-york-becomes-first-state-impose-data-center-moratorium-2026-07-14/)

 

[pantaiema]

Data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity and to some extends water, depending on how they are cooled. So, many people oppose having them built near where they live, especially if they or their families are unlikely to receive any direct economic benefits through jobs, business opportunities, or local investment. Also, nobody wants to see the value of their property suddenly fall because a new infrastructure project is built nearby, especially when that project provides no direct economic benefit to them, their family.

At the same time, almost everyone expects fast, reliable, and uninterrupted digital services. They want seamless online shopping, social media, banking, and investment platforms with minimal downtime. In healthcare, they expect doctors, healthcare professionals to have instant access to patient records and for advanced computing to support faster diagnosis, medical research, and the development of new treatments.

This is a classic example of the "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) phenomenon, which is frequently seen in major infrastructure projects such as data centres, power plants, transmission lines, airports, and waste treatment facilities.

 

[Bob]

Data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity and to some extends water, depending on how they are cooled. So, many people oppose having them built near where they live, especially if they or their families are unlikely to receive any direct economic benefits through jobs, business opportunities, or local investment or it will drop the value of their properties.

At the same time, almost everyone expects fast, reliable, and uninterrupted digital services. They want seamless online shopping, social media, banking, and investment platforms with minimal downtime. In healthcare, they expect doctors, healthcare professionals to have instant access to patient records and for advanced computing to support faster diagnosis, medical research, and the development of new treatments.

This is a classic example of the "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) phenomenon, which is frequently seen in major infrastructure projects such as data centres, power plants, transmission lines, airports, and waste treatment facilities.

And they emit a never ending irritating humming noise.
Many of the new data centers are for AI and not so much for internet.

 

[marcus]

... At the same time, almost everyone expects fast, reliable, and uninterrupted digital services...

The community should have the last say on things that affect us all unjustifiably . I don't think it makes sense that we all pay more for electricity (and maybe for water too) just because of data center(s) .

This is a classic example of the "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) phenomenon ...

It is more than that , because even data centers far away from residential area may increase the electricity's price in the entire country .

 

[harryopal1]

The community has to give the last say on things that affect us all (raise in electricity price , in this case) . We all should decide how much we want to pay for new things . I myself would not accept any electricity price's increase to have most of the present AI . I would accept a small increase for specific use of AI , like in research of new medicines/diagnoses , for example .

It is more than that , because even data centers far away may increase the electricity's price in the whole country .

War, famine, drought, disease, earthquakes, avalanches and now.... humming data centres. Life is a perilous journey.

 

[pantaiema]

The community has to give the last say on things that affect us all (raise in electricity price , in this case) . We all should decide how much we want to pay for new things . I myself would not accept any electricity price's increase to have most of the present AI . I would accept a small increase for specific use of AI , like in non-profit research of new medicines , for example ..

Unless you change the law, currently this is legally incorrect anywhere. Communities do not vote directly on utility bills or choose what they want to pay for. Unless it is private electrify supply companies, in many countries, public electricity is governed by the regulators or ministry. In Indonesia they are governed primarily through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (Kementerian ESDM).

And how was it supposed to work ?? Just remember, If you give it to community to have a final says, everyone wants cheap or even free electricity. Also do not forget the NYMBY phenomenen.

It is more than that , because even data centers far away may increase the electricity's price in the whole country .

While ensuring a reliable power supply has traditionally been a core public duty of the governments and state controlled utility companies, the regulators/governments now recognise that data centres pose an unprecedented threat to grid capacity. In response, a major regulatory shift is underway across multiple nations. Rather than granting unrestricted access to public utilities, authorities are rewriting the rules to limit tech giants' energy intake, forcing data centres to secure their own electricity. This structural shift has caused the independent, unregulated power markets, turning Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and merchant generators into a lucrative frontier for investors. In the US, big IPPs players like Constellation Energy (CEG) and Vistra Corp (VST) for instance have capitalised heavily on this supply gap, aggressively stepping in to monetise the tech industry's desperate for energy supply, a trend clearly reflected in these IPPs soaring stock prices. I mentioned it previously that apart from microprocessor chips, the electricity supply is another bottle neck in data centre capacity building. This electricity shortage bottle neck is probably more severe than microprocessor chips as building power plant take ages before they could operate.

 

[pantaiema]

War, famine, drought, disease, earthquakes, avalanches and now.... humming data centres. Life is a perilous journey.

There are regulations against humming noises, but whether they are actually enforced is another story. This type of noise usually happens at a low frequency, meaning it easily travels through walls and windows. Because of this, people can't just use standard dB(A) meters to measure this humming, it requires a different scale.

 

[jstar]

Since Europe is converting on a big scale from heating on gas to electricity, the humming of the heat pumps will be very common.

Just like the split airconditioning units with an outside unit that often sounds like a hand saw ….. over here.

 

[marcus]

From post no.8: ... With PJM power prices rising 76% in the first quarter due to strong data-center demand ...
From post no.11: ... I don't think it makes sense that we all pay more for electricity (and maybe for water too) just because of data center(s) ...

From https://www.reuters.com/world/us/am...-politicians-are-feeling-pressure-2026-07-16/
Title : Americans are angry about data centers. Politicians are feeling the pressure
By Helen Coster and Valerie Volcovici , July 16, 2026

...In this deeply polarized country, opposition to data centers is among the few issues that unite voters across ideological lines. Just a third of Americans approve of the pace of data-center construction, according to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll. Only 14% of respondents would support a data center being built in their community...

Developers withdrew a project in Washington Township after residents mobilized against it; in Augusta, petitioners stalled development and forced a public rezoning vote.
As backlash spreads, the fight over data centers is no longer confined to town councils, leaving politicians here and across the nation, opens new tab scrambling to keep up...

Reuters reported on July 13 that the White House is working with utility companies and data center developers on a voluntary pledge to protect taxpayers from footing the bill for AI expansion...

In a statement, an Oracle spokesperson said the company will fund all of the ⁠energy and infrastructure needed for the data center, "ensuring no impact on local ratepayer bills or grid reliability."...

 

[pantaiema]

Only 14% of respondents would support a data center being built in their community...

Well, to me, this is stating the obvious. I don't even think it's worth spending money, time on research, survey to find out that vast majority of people in the communities oppose having a data centre built near them; especially when it brings very little or no direct economic benefit to them or their families, such as jobs, business opportunities, or increased local income.

Who on earth would want a new facility that brings:

• Greater pressure on local electricity grid capacity and, in some cases, water supplies.
• Constant noise and vibration, including the continuous humming of HVAC systems and the occasional operation of backup generators.
• Air pollution from the exhaust of diesel-powered backup generators and other machinery.
• Increased traffic of HGV Trucks during construction and maintenance.

More importantly, for many homeowners their property values will highly likely decline if a large data centre is built nearby. Nobody wants to be poorer, so this is obviously one of the main reasons vast majority of local communities oppose such developments. But certainly not everyone will be against the project. Landowners whose lands are acquired by the data centre developer particularly if they receive a generous premium above market value may be very happy to see the project go ahead. A large chunk of those 14% in this survey might be coming from this category or the people who have skills in working in data centre, so will benefit from new job opportunity.

It is the government's responsibility to balance the wider economic benefits of data centres with the legitimate concerns of local residents.

 

[harryopal1]

There ae people who say they are made ill by the noise of

Well, to me, this is stating the obvious. I don't even think it's worth spending money on research to find out why communities oppose having a data centre built near them; especially when it brings little or no direct economic benefit to them or their families, such as jobs, business opportunities, or increased local income.

Who on earth would want to live next to a facility that brings:

• Constant noise and vibration, including the continuous humming of HVAC systems and the occasional operation of backup generators.
• Greater pressure on local electricity grid capacity and, in some cases, water supplies.
• Air pollution from diesel-powered backup generators and other machinery.
• Increased traffic of HGV Trucks during construction and maintenance.

More importantly, many homeowners are concerned that their property values could decline if a large industrial facility is built nearby even when the project is first announced. In many cases, this concern is one of the main reasons local communities oppose such developments. But certainly not everyone will be against the project. Landowners whose properties are acquired by the data centre developer particularly if they receive a generous premium above market value may be very happy to see the project go ahead.

It is the government's responsibility to balance the wider economic benefits of data centres with the legitimate concerns of local residents.

"It is the government's responsibility to balance the wider economic benefits of data centres with the legitimate concerns of local residents."

When it comes to governments deciding between the really big companies and concerns of local residents it is usually the big companies that win and there is the fall back argument;..... it's in the national interest.

 

[Hawk256]

There ae people who say they are made ill by the noise of

I'm wondering if in the past large auto factories were quiet? What about other large factories that required very large machines that ran 24/7. Something tells me they weren't silent. It was common in the US for the houses to built in very close vicinity to the factories so workers would walk to work. Same with people close to subways or train tracks and stations. How have they survived all these years with the constant noises? A data center seems like it would have a fraction of the noise of the aforementioned.

 

[harryopal1]

I'm wondering if in the past large auto factories were quiet? What about other large factories that required very large machines that ran 24/7. Something tells me they weren't silent. It was common in the US for the houses to built in very close vicinity to the factories so workers would walk to work. Same with people close to subways or train tracks and stations. How have they survived all these years with the constant noises? A data center seems like it would have a fraction of the noise of the aforementioned.

Yes and people used to work in factories with hazardous dust and no ventilation. Home burning coal for warmth with serious smog and health problems in cities were part of the norm. Factories belched foul smoke and workers were employed without hearing protection alongside deafening machines. But times have changed. There are new environmental laws. Industries emitting pollution are penalized and there are health and safety laws that recognize that people ought be able to live in comfort without being exposed to hazardous materials or excessive noise. People living in developed countries have different expecations compared with what was tolerated last century.