An Amazon Web Services data centre is seen at night in Boardman, Oregon. The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the US. — AP
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia: Richard Andre Newman thought he would live the rest of his life in his quiet, leafy neighbourhood in suburban Virginia. He was born and raised in Bren Mar Park, where children ride their bikes and neighbours wave hello.
But now, as he’s approaching 60, he’s considering selling his Fairfax County home and moving away. That’s because he’s getting a new neighbour: Plaza 500, a 466,000-square-foot data centre and an adjacent electrical substation to be built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community centre.
