The Data Center Next Door

This episode of Reveal investigates the explosive growth of data centers in Northern Virginia, particularly in Prince William County, where residential neighborhoods are being targeted for massive industrial development. The story centers on local residents like Jessica Grove and Lynn, whose families have lived in the area for generations, now facing the prospect of losing their homes and communities to data center projects backed by billion-dollar firms like Blackstone and Amazon Web Services. The narrative unfolds through personal testimonies, historical context, and investigative reporting, revealing how developers use assemblages—coordinated land acquisitions—to bypass community opposition, often with the help of former elected officials like Pete Candlin, who switched from critic to advocate. Despite legal victories and public resistance, the fight continues as new projects like the Dulles South Innovation Center loom, offering astronomical sums to homeowners while threatening environmental, cultural, and emotional stability. The episode also draws powerful parallels between today’s AI-driven data center boom and the 19th-century railroad expansion, highlighting how both eras feature unchecked corporate power, political collusion, and the erosion of local agency. Ultimately, the story is about the human cost of technological progress and the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and community consent in shaping our digital future.