Stories

Imagine a site the size of 71 football fields, with five enormous buildings stuffed with 200,000 computers each. That’s the size of the data center complex that’s proposed for Landover, Maryland.

The complex, which would be built on the site of the former Landover Mall, is part of a broader effort to bring data centers to Prince George’s County, driven in large part by the rapid rise of generative AI.

Supporters of data centers argue that they provide much-needed jobs and revenue for local communities.

But opponents fear the high levels of pollution, noise and energy use that data centers bring. They also oppose placing them near densely populated communities.

“The scale is impossible to understand,” said Kevin Coyle of the Potomac Riverkeepers Network. “These things are city block-sized buildings. They make as much noise as a jet airliner sitting on a runway.”