GoKawiilMIT Tech Review: Virginia data center fights trace back to electricity, not culture war
A reporter who toured Virginia's 'Data Center Alley' argues that local opposition to data centers stems primarily from concerns over electricity demand and grid strain, not the broader culture-war framing OpenAI's Chris Lehane offered after the midterms. The piece notes facilities like Equinix's draw power mainly from Dominion Energy's natural-gas-heavy grid, with average capacity around 54 megawatts per site—more than Denver International Airport uses. Activist Elena Schlossberg is quoted saying the fight 'was always about power,' meaning electricity.