Also they put a spotlight on the huge energy costs of running an AI

Plus it’s fully in keeping with canon. They mentioned several times in TNG and beyond that holodecks needed isolated power. (And obviously we know the original Enterprise didn’t have a holodeck in a few years’ time.) It’s a nice way for them to have their cake and eat too.

I hope they have another holodeck episode at some point, maybe on a space station.