How Virginia Became the World’s Data Center Capital and How It’s Going

How Virginia became the world’s data center capital and how it’s going

The D.C. region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Virginia the nation’s digital capital.

How Virginia became the world’s data center capital and how it's going

Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century.…

How Virginia became the world's data center capital and how it's going | From AOL’s arrival in Ashburn to today’s AI-driven boom, Virginia became the backbone of the internet economy. Now lawmakers are debating how to manage the industry’s soaring energy demands and economic influence.

How Virginia became the world's data center capital

A view of a data center in Loudoun County. (Photo courtesy of Karen Graham/Loudoun Times-Mirror)Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century. Today, the region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Vi…