re: The lying and catastrophizing regarding AI Data Centers is reaching critical mass

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Well, instead of opining on a message board about it, you should call the company and all of the authorities and get a meeting with the engineers and let them know what you have discovered. I bet they would really appreciate it to have such a sharp engineering mind to advise and guide them because clearly they haven’t considered any of your concerns.

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That's really one of the issues with this entire data center issue. Traditionally, those concerns could be voiced in a public meeting/hearing. But with everything happening behind closed doors; NDAs being signed by public officials; and fast tracked Public Utilities approvals; the local communities and the public are being completely locked out of the process.

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ow is this any different than the 17 acre lot that Home Depot is going to build out *at the back fence* of some of my old neighbors? Or the 165 acre shitbox that is Texas Heritage Marketplace (with no infrastructure upgrades prior to opening) with the ultra exciting venues of Target, Sam's Club, etc. going up a stone's throw from multiple neighborhoods?

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I wouldn’t want a target or a HD in my backyard either. You are correct there is no difference either way I look at it. If I moved out to the country to get away from all the bullshite and big tech wanted to put a humming, light polluting, water/power consuming behemoth in my backyard the size of several or more super wal-marts …..I sure as hell wouldn’t want that shite. What is so hard to understand about that?

This shouldn’t be a partisan issue at all. Construction of these data centers affects all different types of people from all political backgrounds.

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I think of this as more of an indictment on the energy policies over the past 20+ years, solar and wind turbines are "great" on paper but at what cost in terms of scaling up power on demand?

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I don’t think the actual problem has much (if anything) to do with renewables.

The Meta data center in north Louisiana is planned for 5 GW. Average power consumption for the entire state of Louisiana was ~10.9 GW in 2024. Peak usage was obviously considerably higher, but this all illustrates the point: a single customer using 5 GW fundamentally changes the power market in the state.

The details of the contract between Entergy and Meta are secret. But Entergy, as a regulated utility, is guaranteed to recoup any costs (plus associated profits) that aren’t covered by the secret contract.. from the rest of the rate-paying public.

It’s a perfect example of “privatize the gains, socialize the losses” and it goes against the entire point of regulated utilities: transparency.

Today, average usage in LA is split roughly as follows:
- 32% residential
- 25% commercial
- 43% industrial

If the Meta data center reaches 5 GW, it will be:
- 22% residential
- 17% commercial
- 29% industrial
- 31% Meta

… that single customer with the secret contract becomes a larger consumer of power than any other entire sector in the state. If Meta “underpays” by 10%, everyone else’s price has to increase by ~4.5% to compensate.

Yes, that’s based on maximum planned capacity for the data center. And yes, the Meta data center in LA is huge by today’s standards. But that’s one data center, and it doesn’t look like they’re getting any smaller. Is this the precedent we want to set?

I think there are very good reasons to be concerned about locking ourselves into long term costs with zero transparency. We should be scrutinizing the contract details, not taking Entergy’s word for it. The importance of this deal to Entergy cannot be overstated. It’s a windfall for them. Of course they’re going to paint it in a positive light.

/rant

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There is so much empty old office space and warehouses around, it feels like a better long term plan would be conversion of those.

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It "seems" like a good idea

It's not

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Anti data center talk is libturd propaganda.

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Only a knuckle dragging idiot sees every problem as right vs left. You've been programmed by people smarter than you to think this way.

If you've lived near a data center, you'd know the effect they have on electricity costs. That's not a liberal or conservative thing. Nobody wants to pay more money for someone else's project.

The partisan monkeys have got to start thinking again.

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What is so hard to understand about that?

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No, I totally get it. But focusing on "AI Data Centers" as the sole source of the problem is a bit foolish. At least they don't create a traffic problem, though.

Good Lord. Leave the engineering to the engineers.

And yes, the issues are now well known since there have been hundreds of facilities built on the banks of the Mississippi river. But the issues are still there and must be dealt with and somehow they were/are able to figure it out.

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There are idiots in Corpus protesting the idea of a data center being built there because of water concerns (a real thing for the area) Meanwhile Exxon and the Saudis are using more water than about 500 data centers combined to make single use plastic and no one gives a shite

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As a resident of CC, I can say that the my family opposes a data center AND the breaks given to the refineries.

I want as many data centers as big tech thinks they need.



I have zero saved for retirement and I NEED Ai to figure out a way for basic inocome to work!