Thoughts On Tech & Things

Why Are Data Centers Suddenly So Controversial?

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Host Jason Michael Perry
sits down with Jenny Abamu, education and infrastructure reporter for WAMU, to unpack Maryland’s rapidly growing data center boom — and the community backlash that’s followed. They explore how Governor Wes Moore’s push to make Maryland a data center hub has collided with local concerns about energy, land use, and environmental impact. From billion-dollar AI investments to zoning debates in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Jason and Jenny dig into why these massive, mostly unseen buildings have suddenly become so politically visible.

Together, they trace how the global race for AI compute — with trillions of dollars pouring into infrastructure from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle — is reshaping everything from local power grids to public trust. It’s a look at how a technology most of us never see is transforming both the landscape and the conversation about Maryland’s economic future.

Podcast Notes & Links

  • Find Data Centers Near You – Data Center Map
  • AI Data Center Building Spree Hits $40 Billion in a Single Month – U.S. Global Investors
  • Data centers spark fears of a Digital Cancer Alley in Louisiana – The Lens NOLA
  • xAI Data Centre Emits Plumes of Pollution, New Video Shows – Gas Outlook
  • Proposed Northern Maryland Route Unveiled for Controversial Piedmont Power Line – Maryland Matters
  • Maryland Reboots Data Center Business with New Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act – Data Center Frontier
  • Nvidia Posts Record Q3 Results Driven by Data Center Growth – CNBC
  • OpenAI Taps Foxconn to Manufacture AI Hardware in the U.S. – CNBC
  • OpenAI Has $1.4 Trillion in Data Center Commitments – TechCrunch
  • Virginia Data Centers Could Raise Maryland Electricity Bills – CNN
  • Maryland Could Be Hit With $800 Million Energy Bill Due to Virginia Data Centers – WMAR
  • JMail – Epstein Email Interface

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    Credits

    Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

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    Thoughts On Tech & ThingsBy Jason Michael Perry