LETTER: Data centers have significant environmental impacts | Opinion | princewilliamtimes.com – Prince William Times

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable..
Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: May 15, 2024 @ 7:39 pm

The state of Virginia holds about 35% of all hyperscale data centers worldwide. Prince William County, southeastern Loudoun and Ashburn are home to about 115 or so data centers, according to the Northern Virginia Magazine.
The environmental implications of these buildings include stress on the local watersheds due to energy consumption. The economic facilitators that encourage data centers to expand over Virginia have to do with tax cuts and renting abilities.
Virginia has programs in place to further the data center market, such as exemption from retail sales and use taxes for equipment bought by these centers within specific regulations and requirements. This ushers in more data centers due to the financial mobility and profit potential. Economic barriers are lowered slightly for large data center companies to establish themselves and operate right in residents’ backyards.
Environmental concerns span from water pollution, leading to the degradation of local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the large amounts of water needed by the data centers. The immense power use of these buildings is not sustainable. The importance of awareness of these impacts is vital.
Laurie Swede
Catharpin

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