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re: I keep reading headlines about local communities opposing data centers
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:17 pm to Wildcat1996
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:17 pm to Wildcat1996
quote:
What are the legitimate concerns about their impact?
Do they put off some sort of gas that may or may not be harmful?
1
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:19 pm to LemmyLives
quote:
That's why you read articles from multiple sources
What about gathering the opinions from people who care enough about domestic and foreign policy to routinely visit and post on a message board devoted to such topics and aren't bound by the constraints of personal or office politics?
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:20 pm to Wildcat1996
During construction, it's definitely a resource hog on these mega projects. Huge influx of people for a couple of years, then they're all gone for the most part. Turns the local economy upside down as even fast food restaurants will have to pay high wages just to keep their manpower. Shortages on everything, especially hotels, rental properties, and groceries. High cost and scarcity of any kind of building products or workers.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:22 pm to Centinel
quote:
This isn't even accurate anymore with closed-loop systems.
This is awesome when people think a closed loop concept can be used at data center scale
The heat has to be dumped, heat from 25,000 servers with 200,000+ GPUs.
The closed loop is going to be dumping heat to an open loop.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:25 pm to deuceiswild
quote:
No, it gets put right back into the body of water it came from, only a few degrees warmer.
Actually, most of the data centers are designed with a closed loop. Once the system is filled, it's not taking or losing water from anywhere.
Also, someone talked about water loss from power generation. I'm working on one project and the generators are all air-cooled. 50dB at 200' away, and it's out in the middle of nowhere. The only ones bothered by that level of noise would be cows.
This post was edited on 4/7/26 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:31 pm to BTROleMisser
They are constructing a large data center outside of Abilene, TX which is where I live. We do not have enough water to service Abilene as it is. Most summers we experience water rationing for our yards and businesses. I will be very curious to see what happens to our electricity rates. However, the biggest drawbacks I have experienced are the following:
Hotel rates have doubled/tripled due to housing temporary workers. This prevents people from visiting for work or pleasure.
There has been a huge increase in traffic, mainly crushed rock haulers on our roads.
Restaurants are hard to get in to.
They have provided higher paying jobs at the expense of local companies. As our local companies fight to retain employees our cost of living has gone up.
I have no problem with progress but for me personally it has not been a positive impact on this city and community. Most of these people will be gone in a few years and it remains to be seen what impact that will have on those still here.
Hotel rates have doubled/tripled due to housing temporary workers. This prevents people from visiting for work or pleasure.
There has been a huge increase in traffic, mainly crushed rock haulers on our roads.
Restaurants are hard to get in to.
They have provided higher paying jobs at the expense of local companies. As our local companies fight to retain employees our cost of living has gone up.
I have no problem with progress but for me personally it has not been a positive impact on this city and community. Most of these people will be gone in a few years and it remains to be seen what impact that will have on those still here.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:35 pm to boogiewoogie1978
quote:
Do they put off some sort of gas that may or may not be harmful?
Yes
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:35 pm to Wildcat1996
The way tech advances they will all be half empty just like shopping malls in 10 years. It’s a bubble
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:35 pm to 79ABTEXTIGER
quote:
They are constructing a large data center outside of Abilene, TX which is where I live
Which one? There are two humongous ones being built in Abilene currently.
quote:
Hotel rates have doubled/tripled due to housing temporary workers. This prevents people from visiting for work or pleasure.
There has been a huge increase in traffic, mainly crushed rock haulers on our roads.
Restaurants are hard to get in to.
They have provided higher paying jobs at the expense of local companies. As our local companies fight to retain employees our cost of living has gone up.
These are the main problems during construction. It's a boomtown, and the problems will only get worse as the construction manpower peaks in the future. Then everyone will leave, and the hope would be that the local government used the influx of tax dollars to improve local infrastructure and schools after the work is done.
This post was edited on 4/7/26 at 3:36 pm
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:36 pm to Centinel
quote:
Energy, potentially. Water, no.
The water issue is a bigger deal than the electricity. Even the lower water usage hyperscale facilities use massive amounts of water. We are talking in the range of millions of gallons per day. It isn't just the clean water supply that is an issue it is also treating the wastewater.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:36 pm to Powerman
quote:
Do they put off some sort of gas that may or may not be harmful?
Generator exhaust counts
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:39 pm to Centinel
quote:
This isn't even accurate anymore with closed-loop systems.
Even the most efficient closed loop hyperscalers are using more than 500,000 gallons per day per data center building and many of these hyperscalers are trying to build a campus with many data center buildings in one location.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:39 pm to how333
quote:
Unlike the oil refineries.
Logical thinking isn't one of your strengths, is it? There was absolutely zero process of reasoning put into that response.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:41 pm to lowhound
Stargate is the AI center I am most familiar with outside of Abilene
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:41 pm to lowhound
quote:
They have provided higher paying jobs at the expense of local companies.
I bet even McDonalds and BK are having to pay $25/hr to keep anyone. The best bet would be to open up a roadside stand in between town and the mega projects selling breakfast burritos, Zyn, and Monster energy drinks.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:42 pm to 79ABTEXTIGER
quote:
Stargate is the AI center I am most familiar with outside of Abilene
That's on the NW side of town. Vantage is building a 2.3GW data center on the NE side of town too.
This post was edited on 4/7/26 at 3:46 pm
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:45 pm to lowhound
Yes they are. Trailer parks are going in on any available piece of land. There are very few rental homes for the students of the three local colleges.
And yes, I am sure our politicians are spending the increase in revenue wisely. Sarcasm!
And yes, I am sure our politicians are spending the increase in revenue wisely. Sarcasm!
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:46 pm to OleVaught14
quote:
And they add essentially 0 full time jobs as they are largely self-sufficient.
That's why they need to be in more places like Memphis where you will eventually need to hire a military army to guard it once they realize what's in there.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:49 pm to Wildcat1996
quote:
What are the legitimate concerns about their impact?
That Sarah Connor might come to their town....
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:49 pm to lowhound
A friend of mine’s son has started a catering business to provide breakfast and lunch for 100-150 workers every day. That is great for the immediate future but is not sustainable for the distant future
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