In the data center capital of the world, residents ask who the AI boom is helping

NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Virginia Data Center Alley Residents Ask Ai Boom Helps Rcna350369 - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.

The data center footprint in Loudoun County has more than doubled in the last five years, covering over 53 million square feet.

Data centers are the physical infrastructure that make our digital lives possible, yet most people have never seen one up close or understand how they operate.

Cooling vent fans on the roof of a Digital Realty data center in Ashburn, Va., in November. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images file

July 23, 2026, 7:50 AM EDT

By Brennan Leach and Ryan Nobles

STERLING, Va. — When Hari Doue’s 9-year-old twins have tried to sleep in their suburban Virginia home, something has been keeping the boys awake: a “high-pitched whining” sound that wasn’t there before. The sound is generated by the data center that was built nearby.

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