Money Talks Louder in Certain Zip Codes?

How utterly shocking. Dominion Energy is cheerfully dropping $4.8 billion to bury a massive high-voltage line underground all the way to Loudoun County—because, obviously, the data-center-packed paradise of "Data Center Alley" deserves pristine views and zero visual inconvenience. Meanwhile, the quaint, rural charm of those eight central Virginia counties? They get to enjoy the full scenic splendor of 160-foot-tall steel monstrosities marching across 115 miles for the Valley Link project. Permanent landscape tattoo, incoming! Who needs unspoiled Piedmont vistas when you can have an industrial art installation every quarter mile? Truly, the logic is airtight: protect the billion-dollar server farms at all costs, while the "country bumpkins" get the overhead special. Priorities, right? Can't have those cloud-computing overlords squinting at a tower in the distance—think of the productivity hit! Can someone please explain this flawless decision-making? Or is the answer just... money talks louder in certain ZIP codes?

Oh, and shout out to Gloria Mastin for bringing this to our attention!

Full article here: https://thesiliconreview.com/2026/02/pjm-11-8-billion-transmission-expansion-dominion-nextera