The Wall Street Journal takes an in-depth look at how Loudoun County, Virginia evolved into the world’s largest data center market — and the economic development officials, policy debates, and corporate players that shaped it. DataBank is among the developers the piece identifies as part of the market’s growth alongside hyperscalers like Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon.
The article traces Loudoun County’s transformation from a community hit hard by the 2008 housing crash into a 200-building, 49-million-square-foot data center hub. Annual data center construction spending recently surpassed $42 billion nationally, making it one of the few construction categories expected to grow in 2026.
The piece explores the high-stakes dynamics between local governments and the world’s largest corporations — including tax incentives, energy demand, permitting, and growing public skepticism in some communities. At the center of it all is Loudoun County economic development director Buddy Rizer, now known in industry circles as “The Godfather of Data Centers.”
Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal.
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