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It Takes More Than 1 Activist To Kill a Data Center

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Britschgi, C. (2026, November 12). It Takes More Than 1 Activist To Kill a Data Center. Reason. https://reason.com/2026/11/12/it-takes-more-than-1-activist-to-kill-a-data-center/

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Reason · collected 2026-11-12 · by Christian Britschgi

Quick Summary

Taylor Frazier McCollum, an unemployed single mother from Maryland, has become a prominent figure in protests against a proposed $5 billion Brightseat Tech Park data center in Landover, Maryland. In June 2025, she launched a Change.org petition, and her efforts contributed to a temporary moratorium on the project by Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy. The County Council later approved a two-year moratorium specifically for new data center projects, though the Landover project remains under the original moratorium. The article argues that while Frazier McCollum has received significant attention, the real decision-makers behind the project's delay are county politicians, and her role is often overstated in media coverage.
Written by AI on 2026-11-13, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Story summary

Activist Taylor Frazier McCollum successfully spearheaded a movement to stall a $5 billion hyperscale data center project planned for the site of a demolished mall in Landover, Maryland. McCollum launched a Change.org petition in June 2025 that gathered over 25,000 signatures, citing concerns over water pollution and diesel generation. These efforts contributed to a temporary moratorium on processing hyperscale data center permits issued by Prince George's County executive Aisha Braveboy, which is currently set to expire at the end of 2026. While the project is currently on hold, the Prince George's County Council also approved a two-year moratorium specifically for new data center projects. Supporters of the development, such as the Maryland Tech Council, argue the Brightseat Tech Park project would have generated $53.5 million in annual local tax revenue and created high-paying jobs for a county facing a $130 million budget deficit. In contrast, McCollum has advocated for an alternative "bouncy park" on the 87-acre site, leading to criticism from some locals and media outlets. The movement coincided with a broader trend where roughly 40 communities voted to restrict or ban data centers in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Written for “Data center project stalled” on 2026-11-14, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.

How they differ

4 outlets covered “Data center project stalled”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

ReasonThis outlet12 Nov

Taylor Frazier McCollum, an unemployed single mother from Maryland, has become a prominent figure in protests against a proposed $5 billion Brightseat Tech Park data center in Landover, Maryland. In June 2025, she launched a Change.org petition, and her efforts contributed to a temporary moratorium on the project by Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy. The County Council later approved a two-year…

It Takes More Than 1 Activist To Kill a Data Center (this article)
Daily Caller10 Nov

Taylor Frazier McCollum, an anti-data center activist known as "the Landover girl," successfully stalled a $5 billion data center project planned for an abandoned mall near Washington, D.C., by gathering over 25,000 signatures through her petition. The local opposition contributed to broader trends in voter preferences and led to moratoriums on similar projects in the area. McCollum argues that such centers pose…

Activist Helps Kill Data Center Proposal That Actually Sort Of Made Sense →
The Daily Wire12 Nov

Taylor Frazier McCollum, a Maryland activist, gathered over 25,000 signatures to stall a $5 billion data center project in Prince George’s County, which faces a $130 million budget deficit. McCollum opposes the development due to environmental concerns and argues that data centers would pollute water and generate diesel emissions near residential areas. Kelly Schulz from the Maryland Tech Council counters by stating…

Left-Wing Activist Helps Stall $5 Billion Data Center In Cash-Strapped County →
The Blaze12 Nov

An activist and a revolutionary communist group successfully campaigned to halt a $5 billion data center campus project slated for a vacant mall site in Landover, Maryland. The proposed Brightseat Tech Park was expected to consume up to 820 megawatts of power and generate $53.5 million in annual local tax revenue, but it was stopped following a petition with over 25,600 signatures. Activist Taylor Frazier McCollum…

Activist stopped $5B data center — and her proposed idea for vacant lot has critics jumping mad →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans right and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Activist stopped $5B data center — and her proposed idea for vacant lot has critics jumping mad Same event
Blaze Media
Leans strongly right further right than this Hedges 4 of 19 claims Outlet record 95/100
Left-Wing Activist Helps Stall $5 Billion Data Center In Cash-Strapped County Different event
The Daily Wire
Leans left further left than this Hedges 1 of 24 claims Outlet record 59/100
“While both articles discuss the same activist and the same data center project in Prince George's County, Maryland, they describe different stages or aspects of the ongoing opposition to the project.”
Activist Helps Kill Data Center Proposal That Actually Sort Of Made Sense Different event
The Daily Caller
Hedges 4 of 32 claims Outlet record 92/100
“While both articles discuss Taylor Frazier McCollum's activism against a data center project in Landover, Maryland, they describe different stages of the campaign and do not clearly refer to the same specific incident or outcome.”
‘Grassroots’ Single Mom Activist Behind Maryland Data Center Moratorium Had a Helping Hand from Marxist-Leninist Group Tied to China Different event
freebeacon
Leans strongly right further right than this Hedges 3 of 32 claims Outlet record 94/100
“While both articles discuss Taylor Frazier McCollum's activism against data center development, Article A focuses on her connection to a Marxist-Leninist group, while Article B describes her initial actions and the broader context of the protest movement.”

Story

Data center project stalled
Technology · 4 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↑
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
35
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 35 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
67/100
Reason's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Technology
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-13 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Running correction rate · 4 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Christian Britschgi
24 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
In 2024, Prince George's County gave final planning approval to the $5 billion Brightseat Tech Park project, which would have created a massive hyperscale data center on the site of the old mall.
2026-11-12 · assertive framing · It Takes More Than 1 Activist To Kill a Data Center
Some interesting findings when you dig into the ad data and results. pic.twitter.com/EZlGYBRG6u — Dave Vorland (@DaveV15) November 4, 2026 But that could be explained by all candidates turning against data centers.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · It Was a Data Center Election After All
The votes are still being counted, but news outlets have already called the D.C. mayor's race for Councilmember Janeese Lewis George.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Socialist Janeese Lewis George Easily Wins D.C.'s Mayoral Election
Today, voters (who didn't vote early or vote by mail, at least) will go to the polls to pick their national, state, and local elected officials and decide a long list of ballot initiatives.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · The Housing Ballot Initiatives To Watch
Early voting is still ongoing in Washington, D.C.'s elections, but everyone already knows who the winner of the mayoral race is going to be.
2026-10-30 · assertive framing · After 11 Years of Muriel Bowser, D.C. Readies Itself for Its First Socialist Mayor
Texas might finally turn blue, and the man poised to do it is a mask-wearing, trans rights–supporting, Gnostic Gospel–quoting liberal from Austin.
2026-10-27 · assertive framing · Will a Data Center Backlash Help James Talarico Turn Texas Blue?
When the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was still a work in progress, the Senate briefly inserted a ban on corporate ownership of single-family rental housing so sweeping that it might well have killed off the small but growing build-to-rent sector.
2026-10-23 · assertive framing · Under Proposed Treasury Rule, Corporate Homebuyers Who Don't Track Their Receipts Face $1 Million Fines
While Congress' new housing law officially eliminates the chassis requirement, actually implementing this deregulatory change will require a number of additional federal rules and further local and state deregulation.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Code Games 2.0
The best the homeowners could do was petition the then-queen to intervene on their behalf.
2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Canada's First Nations Are Using Their Land To Build Dense Housing
As it happens, privatization of airport security screening would spare screening agents from one of their most persistent beefs: having to work without being paid during government shutdowns.
2026-10-07 · assertive framing · TSA Screeners Union Hopes Passengers Protest Petty Rule Change That Only Affects Screeners
Also by Christian Britschgi
It Was a Data Center Election After All
2026-11-04 · Reason
Socialist Janeese Lewis George Easily Wins D.C.'s Mayoral Election
2026-11-04 · Reason
The Housing Ballot Initiatives To Watch
2026-11-03 · Reason
Freed Up: Live Midterm Reactions
2026-10-30 · Reason
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 24 articles by Christian Britschgi →

Topics

Landover Maryland NPR Prince George's County Washington

Subjects

Frazier McCollum PERSON · 5× Prince George's County GPE · 4× Maryland GPE · 3× Braveboy PERSON · 2× Frazier McCollum's PERSON · 2× NPR ORG · 2× D.C. GPE · 1× Landover GPE · 1× Taylor Frazier McCollum PERSON · 1× Washington GPE · 1×

Narrative

She got a drubbing on social media and has since been the subject of critical articles in conservative publications, some of which have noted she's allied herself with the Party of Socialism and Liberation, a fringe left-wing group with possible financial links to the Chinese Communist Party that has agitated against data center projects across the country.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-13
In 2024, Prince George's County gave final planning approval to the $5 billion Brightseat Tech Park project, which would have created a massive hyperscale data center on the site of the old mall.
2026-11-13 · Reason
It Takes More Than 1 Activist To Kill a Data Center · assertive framing

Claims (35 extracted, 0 hedged)

Social media is currently abuzz about Taylor Frazier McCollum, a Maryland woman who has become the face of the protest movement against a proposed data center on the site of a long-dead mall in Landover, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. asserted
who → become → Washington
In 2024, Prince George's County gave final planning approval to the $5 billion Brightseat Tech Park project, which would have created a massive hyperscale data center on the site of the old mall. asserted
which → give → mall
Upon hearing that the project would be built roughly a mile from her home, Frazier McCollum, an unemployed single mother, began agitating against it. asserted
McCollum → hear → it
In June 2025, she launched a Change.org petition opposing the data center. asserted
she → launch → center
That September, Prince George's County executive Aisha Braveboy issued a temporary moratorium on processing hyperscale data center permits, stalling the Landover project. asserted
Braveboy → issue → project
Braveboy has repeatedly extended this moratorium, which is now set to expire at the end of this year. asserted
which → extend → year
In July, the Prince George's County Council also approved a two-year moratorium on approving new data centers. asserted
Council → approve → centers
(The council's moratorium applies only to new projects and does not affect the Landover data center.) asserted
moratorium → apply → center
"Sympathetic underdog stops big developer" is a staple narrative in everything from Hollywood movies to news articles. asserted
stops → stop → articles
Frazier McCollum definitely got that treatment in an NPR profile published this past Saturday as well as in a Washington Post profile from January. asserted
McCollum → get → January
Perhaps because it includes an image of Frazier McCollum standing in front of the overgrown parking lot she's saved from redevelopment, the NPR profile sparked a backlash online of people dunking on Frazier McCollum for stopping the Landover project. asserted
profile → include → project
She got a drubbing on social media and has since been the subject of critical articles in conservative publications, some of which have noted she's allied herself with the Party of Socialism and Liberation, a fringe left-wing group with possible financial links to the Chinese Communist Party that has agitated against data center projects across the country. asserted
that → get → country
As an activist who's consciously trying to influence public policy, Frazier McCollum is a legitimate subject of criticism. asserted
McCollum → try → criticism
Her arguments about the proposed data center's impacts range from the wrong (it'll pollute the water) to the silly (it'll disrupt the aesthetics and character of the former mall site). asserted
it → propose → site
But by treating her as the reason the Landover data center project is stopped, both Frazier McCollum's mainstream press profilers and conservative critics overstate her importance to the data center backlash in Prince George's County. asserted
profilers → treat → County
In doing so, they underplay the serious image problems that data centers have across the country. asserted
centers → do → country
They also let county politicians, who are actually blocking the Landover project, off the hook. asserted
who → let → hook
It's true that in places like California, a single gadfly can hold up multibillion-dollar projects for years with administrative appeals and frivolous environmental lawsuits. asserted
gadfly → hold → appeals
Even if no one agrees with them, there are laws and processes in place that allow that to happen. asserted
that → agree → place
Since it's received planning approval, Braveboy has had to take the extraordinary measure of issuing moratoriums to block it. asserted
Braveboy → receive → it
That's not something she has to do. asserted
she → have → ?
It's also not something she'd probably be willing to do in the service of a one-woman crusade. asserted
she → do → crusade
She likely feels pressure to block the data center because in Maryland, like everywhere else in the country, everyone is mad as hell about data centers. asserted
everyone → feel → centers
Largely erroneous arguments about data centers' impacts on water use and electricity prices have spawned hundreds of moratoriums and killed off $260 billion worth of projects. asserted
arguments → spawn → projects
With all due respect to Frazier McCollum's agency and activist skills, she is not solely responsible for bringing this nationwide moral panic to Prince George's. asserted
she → bring → George
At best, she helped amplify a message that's resonating across the country. asserted
that → help → country
Indeed, months before she launched her popular petition against the Landover project, the county had already voted to convene a data center task force to hear community concerns about these projects and recommend new regulations for them. asserted
county → launch → them
As far back as November 2024, the county council rejected a proposed ordinance that would have streamlined further data center approval. asserted
that → reject → approval
Individual activists oppose development all the time. asserted
activists → oppose → development
In order for them to have an effect, politicians have to listen to them and take action. asserted
politicians → have → action
And they normally don't do that if it's just one person talking. asserted
it → do → that
Across the country, hundreds of moratoriums on data center development have been adopted. asserted
hundreds → adopt → development
Some 13 other counties in Maryland have paused data center construction. asserted
counties → pause → construction
The industry's problems with convincing the public that data centers are relatively innocuous land uses and major fiscal boons for local programs run deeper than just one woman who'd rather have a trampoline park than a hyperscale facility. asserted
who → convince → facility
If you think Frazier McCollum's arguments are stupid, you should save some criticism for the politicians who are accepting them and translating them into public policies that are costing Prince George's County billions in economic investment. asserted
that → think → investment
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