Dagen McDowell of Fox Business stunned co-hosts by urging viewers to buy artificial Christmas trees so land could be repurposed for a proposed 67-mile transmission line serving AI data centers in northern Virginia. The $424 million project has drawn fierce objections from farmers who say it could cost them millions, while developers warn the line is needed to avoid higher costs, grid congestion, and reliability risks. Co-hosts reacted with dismay to McDowell's suggestion, saying the towers would mar the farm's appearance.
Fox Host Urges Viewers To Buy Fake Christmas Trees To Make Way For AI Power Lines, Sparking Groans
Fox Business host Dagen McDowell surprised her colleagues on The Big Money Show by urging viewers to buy artificial Christmas trees to free up land for power infrastructure intended to serve artificial intelligence data centers.
Background
The comments followed reporting on a Maryland Christmas tree farm that lies in the path of a proposed 67-mile transmission line meant to carry electricity to AI data centers in northern Virginia. The $424 million project has alarmed some farmers, who say the plan could cost them millions in lost land and business.
The project developer told Fox Business the transmission line is necessary to avoid higher costs, "grid congestion, and real risks to reliability." Supporters characterize the work as part of broader regional economic growth and infrastructure modernization.
On-Air Exchange
On air, McDowell argued that the issue is one of economic growth rather than solely AI. She quipped that the United States might as well "saw off Maryland and kick it into the Atlantic Ocean" if critics object. McDowell added that the threatened land is a tree farm rather than food production and suggested that alternatives — such as placing large solar arrays on the site — would likewise preclude Christmas-tree cultivation.
“If there is a need for electricity generation and a conduit like power lines to bring electricity to a densely populated area of business and growth like northern Virginia, then it is not about AI, it is about economic growth for the United States,” McDowell said. She closed by urging acceptance of the project and adding, “You know what? Buy a fake tree!”
Co-Host Reaction
Co-host Brian Brenberg objected to the visual impact of towers and lines, calling them "gross-looking" and warning the farm would lose its aesthetic appeal. The panel reacted with audible groans when McDowell suggested viewers switch to artificial trees; Brenberg exclaimed, "A dagger in my heart!" McDowell responded lightheartedly that she owns a fake tree herself.
The exchange aired on Fox Business Network's The Big Money Show and was first reported by Mediaite. The dispute underscores tensions between infrastructure development, local livelihoods, and the expanding energy needs of data centers that support AI services.
