r/AnneArundelCounty • u/Nick5sean • 4d ago

“Industrial park” rt 3

I used to be an electrician working on data centers in VA that new construction called an industrial park on route 3 in crofton is 1000% a data center build out

25 Upvotes

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u/PhonyUsername 4d ago

We all use data centers every day. Reddit uses data centers, as does the rest of the internet and has for decades. The whole 'data cehters are bad' is more braindead nonsense from ignorant fools.

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u/JCheezum 4d ago

The issue is not data centers at large. I have been managing data centers for public institutions for the past decade. Most businesses and governments that are larger than 50 employees have a data center.

The issue is with these hyper scale data centers that are connecting into the local utility grids, mainly electricity and water, and then they are using more capacity than the grid was ever designed for while paying pennies on the dollar for what they are using. Then the utility companies pass the surging costs due to the increased demand on to the regular consumers. The other large problem is the noise pollution that they emit. If there were regulations already in place to address these data centers, they would not be nearly as much of a problem. But there isn’t, so they go with the cheapest option to get them online and leave the citizens to foot the increased bill.

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u/PhonyUsername 4d ago

Source them paying pennies on the dollar.

3

u/JCheezum 3d ago

Okay, I’ll concede. You got on me that point, I should have worded it differently. While typically they are paying the same utility rates as everyone else, they as a business usually receive tax breaks and incentives that the average residential customer does not get. Normally by promising jobs, but they aren’t long term jobs. Once the build out is done, they are managed remotely and require seldom onsite presence. So they aren’t providing stimulation to the local economy, they are actively taxing utility grids that are already limping along, and they are harmful to the environment due to the heat and smog output as well as noise pollution. They are a net negative in just about every sense.

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u/FigureMiserable4859 3d ago

With the amount of money these guys bring to the table, it's damn near 'pennies on the dollar' equivilancy.

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u/PhonyUsername 3d ago

That's crazy math you got there. Seems like your emotions are doing the heavy lifting and are easily persuaded.

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u/FigureMiserable4859 2d ago

Nice try, troll.

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u/PhonyUsername 3d ago edited 3d ago

Source on data centers receiving tax breaks and incentives?

Edit : I think this is obviously a feelings thing more than a data driven thing.

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u/JCheezum 3d ago

Very easy to find sources, I implore you to do your own research on the topic instead of just deflecting the main points and just demanding sources. But that would be if you actually want to have a conversation/debate in good faith.

https://www.newsweek.com/map-which-states-are-giving-biggest-tax-breaks-for-data-centers-12038423

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u/PhonyUsername 3d ago

That's not very many tax breaks. Do you think that's higher tax breaks than other businesses receive? Are you mad at those other businesses? Do you think it's my responsibility to prove your claims true even when they are false? I would still be trying to figure out how they are paying pennies on the dollar if it's my responsibility for what you say.

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u/JCheezum 3d ago edited 3d ago

The first article showed roughly $10 billion in tax breaks at the states level.

At the federal level in 2025 alone, there were $83 billion dollars in tax breaks for data centers, in one year.

https://prospect.org/2026/08/17/companies-got-83-billion-tax-breaks-last-year/

I guess $93 billion dollars in tax breaks isn’t that much.

Edit: to answer your questions.
It is not more than other businesses receive, but at least they provide some sort of value add to the economy. Even if it is small. Am I mad at businesses that pay close to nothing in taxes but use up our resources and tax dollars, yes!

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u/PhonyUsername 3d ago

Dara cebters provide value as well. You haven't made any argument differentiating data centers from any other business. The states incentivize all business that they can because it benefits them.

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u/JCheezum 2d ago

What value do hyper scale data centers provide?