4 ms·

Glad they’re expanding in NY. Fabs need water and we have that in great abundance. I am skeptical of the investments being made in places like Arizona where aq

Glad they’re expanding in NY. Fabs need water and we have that in great abundance. I am skeptical of the investments being made in places like Arizona where aquifers are drying up further every year. They won’t have water forever. And these plants have insane capex and can’t just be boxed up and shipped on a train out East.

selectodude 5y ago
Once a fab has water, it generally doesn't discharge a whole lot and doesn't take a whole lot of new water in. Outside water need extreme levels of treatment to be usable and once its used, requires such an extreme level of cleaning to be discharged that it's easier to just keep the entire process a closed loop.
- j_walter 5y ago
  Not true. There are multiple grades of water that are used in a semiconductor plant and not all of it needs huges amounts of treatment (like process cooling water). However extracting the heat out of that water tends to cause a lot of evaporation, especially in high temperature climates...thus a lot of makeup water. Some fabs have a goal of 100% recycle, but that is not going to happen. Even small fabs tend to use and discharge hundreds of thousands if not millions of gallons per day. https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/08/intel_water_recycling_project.html https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/08/intel_wate... Intel in the Portland area uses over 2 billion gallons of water in a single year. Even with their latest recycle plant online, that only cuts their usage by half.
thehappypm 5y ago
The Northeast, and the Midwest, seem to be poised to do well in a climate change future. Hugely abundant water. No earthquakes. No wildfires. Hurricanes are an occasional problem but it's a fraction of the problem it is on the Gulf Coast. Sure there are cold winters, but seems a small price to pay.
- rm_-rf_slash 5y ago
  Tornadoes are picking up in upstate New York which certainly surprised me. Summer storms are also more intense than they used to be, but that can be mitigated. Hurricanes ain’t shit here. Even Sandy wasn’t more than a moderate storm by the time it hit the Finger Lakes. Winters aren’t as intense as they used to be, which sucks if you like skiing and snowball fights. The real hidden gem here is clouds. It’s overcast more often than not. Plenty of water and shade to keep things cool even in midsummer. My window’s been open all day!

selectodude 5y ago

Once a fab has water, it generally doesn't discharge a whole lot and doesn't take a whole lot of new water in. Outside water need extreme levels of treatment to be usable and once its used, requires such an extreme level of cleaning to be discharged that it's easier to just keep the entire process a closed loop.

j_walter 5y ago
Not true. There are multiple grades of water that are used in a semiconductor plant and not all of it needs huges amounts of treatment (like process cooling water). However extracting the heat out of that water tends to cause a lot of evaporation, especially in high temperature climates...thus a lot of makeup water. Some fabs have a goal of 100% recycle, but that is not going to happen. Even small fabs tend to use and discharge hundreds of thousands if not millions of gallons per day. https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/08/intel_water_recycling_project.html https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/08/intel_wate... Intel in the Portland area uses over 2 billion gallons of water in a single year. Even with their latest recycle plant online, that only cuts their usage by half.

thehappypm 5y ago

The Northeast, and the Midwest, seem to be poised to do well in a climate change future. Hugely abundant water. No earthquakes. No wildfires. Hurricanes are an occasional problem but it's a fraction of the problem it is on the Gulf Coast. Sure there are cold winters, but seems a small price to pay.

rm_-rf_slash 5y ago
Tornadoes are picking up in upstate New York which certainly surprised me. Summer storms are also more intense than they used to be, but that can be mitigated. Hurricanes ain’t shit here. Even Sandy wasn’t more than a moderate storm by the time it hit the Finger Lakes. Winters aren’t as intense as they used to be, which sucks if you like skiing and snowball fights. The real hidden gem here is clouds. It’s overcast more often than not. Plenty of water and shade to keep things cool even in midsummer. My window’s been open all day!