Why the data center backlash is really about electricity

A visit to Virginia's Data Center Alley suggests the backlash against AI data centers is driven more by electricity demand than by the culture war Big Tech describes. A typical facility there draws 54 megawatts, while the smallest sites attractive for AI training need 300 megawatts and ideal ones about 6,000—roughly Chicago's draw. Companies are turning to onsite gas turbines and diesel generators, and Virginia has imposed new rules requiring data centers to pay fully for new transmission lines.