Experts say there is a growing need for data centers in the US, where Statista says there were 2,701 in 2022, but finding the land and energy may be a challenge
Miranda S. Spivack / New York Times : Mastodon: @ravirockks@infosec.exchange . Twitter: @berkeleylab , @nytimesbusiness , @nytimestech , and @jameshewettdc Mastodon: Ravi Nayyar / @ravirockks@infosec.exchange : 'Northern Virginia is a major hub for data centers, partly because of its proximity to major pieces of physical infrastructure that form the foundation of the internet. Amazon announced plans this year to build multiple data centers in Virginia by 2040, an estimated $35 billion investment. … Twitter: @berkeleylab : The growth of artificial intelligence “will require new kinds of efficiency,” says @BerkeleyLabETA's Arman Shehabi. “Right now #ArtificialIntelligence uses a lot of electricity, but it's not clear if that will continue.” #AI https://www.nytimes.com/... @nytimesbusiness : The need for data centers has rapidly increased, fueled by changing work habits during the pandemic and the growth of cloud-based technologies. https://www.nytimes.com/... @nytimestech : Technological advances are increasing demand for data centers, but finding enough land and sufficient electricity can be a challenge as developers must address community concerns about these giant neighborhood buildings straining local power grids. https://www.nytimes.com/... James Hewett / @jameshewettdc : Great story by @mirandareporter about a topic folks are probably tired of hearing me talk about. The article does not directly address AI energy needs, but if it's even half as successful as the hype we're about to have a real problem with the grid: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
This piece flags the constraint that has since defined the sector: demand for US data centers is growing — Statista counted 2,701 in 2022, and pandemic work habits plus cloud adoption accelerated it — but land and electricity are getting harder to secure. Northern Virginia remains the anchor hub because of its proximity to core physical internet infrastructure, and Amazon has committed an estimated $35 billion to build multiple Virginia data centers by 2040.
What followed validates the warning. [[a:867983|AI is projected to push global data center energy consumption to roughly India's current usage by 2034]], the industry is missing its own sustainability targets under that load, and new hubs are emerging wherever power can be added fastest — including Arizona's Maricopa County, set to hold the second-largest US concentration by 2028.
First-order effects
- Amazon and other Virginia developers now compete directly with residents and local grids for land and power at the Northern Virginia hub, making siting approvals and community opposition a schedule risk on the $35 billion buildout.
Second-order effects
- Grid access has become so scarce that US developers facing interconnection waits of up to seven years are turning to aeroderivative turbines and diesel generators — a workaround that trades emissions for speed.
Third-order effects
- As Big Tech's energy draw starts showing up on households' and small businesses' bills, data centers are being forced into the political terrain of utilities — with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google now major power players whose siting choices depend on grid upgrades rather than fiber routes.
The trend: Data center location strategy is flipping from proximity to internet infrastructure to proximity to procurable electricity, turning AI compute into a de facto utility planning problem.