‘It’s coming fast’: Arlington Diocese sits at center of ‘Data Center Alley’

EWTN News In Depth’s Mark Irons reports on “Data Center Alley” in the Diocese of Arlington in light of Pope Leo XIVʼs encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

Data centers continue popping up across the country to fuel the growth of artificial intelligence in everyday life, and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to the densest concentration of these facilities in the world, known as “Data Center Alley.”

“Itʼs absolutely in people’s minds to be thinking how to pastor and shepherd the flock,” Anna Knier, coordinator for the office of the peace and justice commission for the diocese, told Mark Irons on “EWTN News In Depth” on June 26.

“Itʼs coming fast and quickly, and itʼs kind of [like] weʼre building the plane as we fly a little bit in terms of all sorts of considerations, including infrastructure,” Knier said.

The hub, dubbed “Data Center Alley,” is located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., just west of the city. There are more than 300 data centers in Northern Virginia and more than 100 in development.

Data centers have become a focal point of the broader AI debate. They often receive government tax subsidies while employing few people compared to other facilities that often get similar incentives, like factories.

Data centers also consume an enormous amount of energy. According to a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, about 4-5% of national energy is consumed by data centers, but that will increase to between 9-17% by 2030.

Virginia is the only state in which more than 20% of energy is consumed by data centers, but that could increase to 39-57% by 2030.

In Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father warned about a “tendency to overlook the environmental impact” of AI, mostly caused by the energy and water consumption of data centers.

Leo discussed broader concerns about AI development as well, such as preserving the dignity of work, building up human solidarity, and not concentrating power in the hands of a few, but instead ensuring all people benefit from the innovation.

“We need to be with those who are on the margins,” Knier said.