Mapped: Virginia data centers’ thousands of backup generators

Loudoun County houses nearly half of Virginia's data center backup generators, per nearly 200 air permits, fueling resident noise complaints and calls for stricter oversight.

By: Kaela Roeder

Outlets: Technical.ly

Published: September 16, 2026

Words: 866

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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Thousands of backup generators power Northern Virginia’s massive data center industry, and a single county overwhelmingly bears the brunt.

Loudoun County, considered the data center capital of the world, houses nearly half of the state’s more than 13,500 backup generators, according to 195 air permit applications analyzed by Technical.ly.

Generators, often powered by highly polluting diesel, serve as emergency backup when enough power isn’t available from the grid due to …

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