Buddy Rizer, executive director for economic development in Loudoun County, Virginia, said he was tasked in 2007 with finding new revenue after the housing bubble and developed a plan to attract data centers to fill empty dot-com era buildings. ^[1] Loudoun County, Virginia, is home to about 250 data centers, the densest concentration in the world, over a small portion of its roughly 515 square miles. ^[2] By 2003, Internet Explorer held approximately 95% of the market share, while Netscape had lost its dominance. ^[3] By the mid-1990s, Netscape Navigator held a market share of over 80% among web browser users. ^[4] Microsoft launched Internet Explorer bundled with the Windows operating system, giving it a significant advantage in the browser market. ^[5] Netscape Navigator was launched in 1994 by the company Netscape Communications, which was founded by Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark. ^[6] According to an April analysis by the Pew Research Center, there are already 3,000 data centers in operation around the US, with 1,500 more in development. ^[7] Data center tax revenue alone exceeded Loudoun County's operational budget by $35 million in 2024. ^[8]