Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images, text and arrows by Matt Turner
- The AI explosion has triggered a boom in data-center building.
- Giant new complexes are scheduled to go up everywhere from Ohio to Georgia.
- The growth could put data centers in competition with local populations for space and resources.
I want to draw your attention to this photo.
This part of Virginia used to be farmland. Now, it's home to a tony cul-de-sac with spacious driveways, pristine lawns, and light-colored mansions.
And right there, a stone's throw away from some of these residential properties, is a hulking great Amazon data center.
This scene, from the Loudoun Meadows neighborhood in Aldie, Virginia, could be about to become more common.