Loudoun Now for June 12, 2025

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Community-Supported News. Free to all.

VOL. 10, NO. 31

26

JUNE 12, 2025

Data Center Leaders Say Innovation Will Continue BY HANNA PAMPALONI

hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Amid increasing controversy over the pace and scale of data center development, industry leaders last week continued to highlight their economic benefits during a Loudoun Chamber of Commerce forum where U.S. Chamber Technology Engagement Center Vice President Jordan Crenshaw emphasized the need for the United States to stay at the forefront of the global stage. Crenshaw said that data centers are at the core of whether the country will have the infrastructure needed to maximize the benefits of evolving technology, the most notable of which for now is artificial intelligence. AI is quickly changing the technology landscape, he said, providing opportunities for large corporations and small businesses alike. “What we found from small businesses is that nearly four in 10 small businesses have reported that they are in some way using generative AI,” Crenshaw said. “… We actually have found that they report better sales, hirings and profits than their DATA CENTERS continues on page 36

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Power lines cut through a field to connect to a substation southeast of Leesburg.

Turner Sees New ‘Reality’ Amid Unprecedented Power Demand BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Loudoun Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Michael Turner (D-Ashburn) has been voicing concerns for years about

the challenges and impacts of supplying power to the area's data centers. After the latest report from the region's energy coordinator, he is stepping up that alarm. PJM Interconnection, the entity responsible for coordinating power

throughout 13 states including Virginia, is seeing demand for electricity grow more rapidly than predicted just a year ago—at POWER CONCERNS continues on page 37

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