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Loudoun County

Data Centers in PJM Grid Can Rely Solely on Generators During the Cold, DOE Rules

Regional grid operators said the federal order is a fail safe. Environmentalists in Virginia worry about increased pollution regulators and residents may not be fully aware of.

By Charles Paullin

An aerial view shows cooling vent fans on the roof next to generators on the lower level of a Digital Realty data center in Ashburn, Virginia, in November 2025. Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The construction of a data center in Loudoun County, Virginia. Credit: Charles Paullin/Inside Climate News

Virginia Regulators Weigh Expanded Use of Data Center’s Polluting Generators 

By Charles Paullin

Amazon data centers loom over houses at the edge of a neighborhood in Loudoun County, Va. Credit: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

How Did This State Become the Data Center Capital of the World?

By Dan Gearino, Charles Paullin

Amazon data centers are seen next to Loudoun Meadows houses in Aldie, Va. Credit: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Virginia Has the Biggest Data Center Market in the World. Can It Also Decarbonize Its Grid?

By Sarah Vogelsong

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