Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern Virginia By MATTHEW BARAKAT https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-data-centers-prince-william-229... FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County. [...] The plan, called the Prince William Digital Gateway, prompted one of the region’s biggest land-use disputes in decades. It was approved despite vocal opposition from residents concerned that the data centers are noisy, ugly, and consume massive amounts of electricity that require the addition of high-voltage transmission lines. [...] Josh Levi, president of the Data Center Coalition, an industry trade group, said that data centers can make a compelling argument to local officials about the tax benefits that accrue from hosting data centers. “The industry prioritizes maintaining an open, active, and collaborative dialogue with elected officials and candidates for office, their constituents, and other community stakeholders,” he said in a statement. [...]