I.B.E.W's Don Slaiman: Home prices are going up in Northern Virginia as data centers are built

Summary

Don Slaiman, political coordinator for I.B.E.W. Local 26, argues that data-center construction is a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity. He cites $800 billion in annual facility investment, pre-leased demand, union wage gains, and Northern Virginia's dominant data-center footprint. He also addresses municipal concerns, saying Loudoun County benefits via $1.3 billion in industry revenue and that local home prices are rising across the DC metro area.

• Data-center buildout is estimated at $800 billion this year.
• Facilities are leased before construction; reliability and redundancy needs raise their sophistication.
• Northern Virginia has built 97% of local data centers and hosts a quarter of Americas operating capacity.
• Union electrical and mechanical trades dominate the work, with apprentices reaching $62 an hour.
• Loudoun County receives $1.3 billion from the industry and is the richest U.S. county.
• Home prices are rising across the DC metro area amid federal growth, biotech, and data centers.