数据中心反弹的背后：电力而非技术
大科技公司认为数据中心反弹是文化战争，但实际上是电力使用和电网紧张影响了当地社区。
the data center backlash in the us, particularly in areas like ashburn, virginia, is often misattributed to a culture war against big tech. however, the primary concern is the enormous appetite for electricity. data centers can be powered by connecting to the grid or generating electricity onsite. in virginia, most data centers are connected to the grid, which is largely powered by natural gas. the average data center in this area has a power capacity of 54 megawatts, surpassing the power draw of the denver international airport. recent protests have led to new rules requiring data centers to pay for new transmission lines and potentially face cutoffs from grid power during peak demand. elsewhere, companies are building massive data centers in rural areas with no grid infrastructure, leading to the use of natural-gas-powered turbines and diesel generators. for example, anthropic has reportedly agreed to pay $3.4 billion for gas turbines.