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Why would someone want a data center near them? They provide fewer jobs than other projects of similar size, they consume huge amounts of local resources, and
by bitmasher9 1y ago
Why would someone want a data center near them? They provide fewer jobs than other projects of similar size, they consume huge amounts of local resources, and most are paired with significant tax breaks.
- jeffbee 1y agoReally? What are some similar sized projects? An alfalfa farm in the desert, for example, employs almost nobody, pays nothing in taxes (may even be a net consumer of taxes due to subsidies) and consumes 100x-1000x the water. These are the direct tradeoffs for new Nevada data centers.
- bitmasher9 1y agoFarming alfalfa in the desert has to be one of worst business ideas I’ve read.
- jeffbee 1y agoAnd yet ... Nevada has > 120000 hectares under irrigated cultivation for hay.
- troyvit 1y agoThat is truly stupid, but is putting a data center there any less stupid?
- jeffbee 1y agoIt is a bit less stupid, yes, because of the abundance of energy. The same reason it makes sense to make batteries and cars and stuff in Nevada.
- troyvit 1y agoCool I didn't know that Nevada had any abundance of energy (and it's practically a neighbor). I was thinking of water issues surrounding cooling and stuff, as well as data delivery to get information off those 120k hectares. Still, I can see how it's much easier than hay making.
- jeffbee 1y agoNevada has two major energy assets: the sun[1], and a huge wire that runs from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles[2]. 1: https://www.nrel.gov/docs/libraries/gis/high-res-images/solar-annual-ghi-2018-usa-scale-01.jpg https://www.nrel.gov/docs/libraries/gis/high-res-images/sola... 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_DC_Intertie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_DC_Intertie