A Data Center Boom Is Destroying Residential Areas

Big Tech’s push to build hundreds of data centers has brought economic activity — and massive disruption — to the lives of nearby residents.

The Big Picture: Big Tech companies like Google have recently constructed over a thousand data centers in dense clusters, terraforming the surrounding environment and making it almost impossible to live nearby.

Between the Lines: A hub of data centers in Northern Virginia has drastically altered many Virginians’ quality of life.

• People living near data centers complain of deafening round-the-clock jackhammering, explosions that crack home drywall, constant droning from HVAC systems, and noxious diesel fumes in the air.
• Thousands of football fields’ worth of forests and green space have been razed to make way for the data centers, destroying habitats and environments that once made the area desirable.
• Data centers are often incompatible with residential areas, but state officials, eager for jobs and investment, have offered Big Tech tax breaks and zoning changes to make these problems disappear.
• Some residents support the initiative, citing increased community investment, significant tax breaks for homeowners, and major increases in the median sales prices of homes.

Conclusion: Tech’s thirst for data is only growing, and residents near data centers have little choice but to accept the unwelcome changes or move away. And with these data centers razing natural habitats and potentially jeopardizing air and water quality, those who can afford to are often choosing to leave.

Prediction: Expect Big Data and AI to become even more divisive following environmentally destructive initiatives that enrich some while degrading the standard of living and property values of others.