When Data Centers Become Power Plants Next Door

A Sterling, Virginia data center operated by Vantage Data Centers powers itself with gas turbines, causing a persistent high-pitched noise that neighbors say makes their homes unusable and spurs calls for zoning changes; Harvard-backed analyses warn of potential health costs from soot emissions, while the company and local officials emphasize permits and ongoing investigations. The piece places the local disruption within a broader policy debate as Trump pushes data centers to build their own power, highlighting the tension between powerful digital infrastructure and community quality of life.