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They’re restarting coal-fired power plants to run AI datacenters. I don’t know what your personal threshold is for “massive” environmental harm, but that meets

They’re restarting coal-fired power plants to run AI datacenters. I don’t know what your personal threshold is for “massive” environmental harm, but that meets mine.

baggy_trough 1y ago
What's a specific example of that?
- svnt 1y ago
  It has been widely reported. Here is an example not of a coal-fired but diesel and gas mobile power sources. If you spend time looking you will have no trouble finding sources. > Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a rule clarification allowing the use of some mobile gas and diesel power sources for data centers. In a statement accompanying the rule, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed that the Biden administration's focus on addressing climate change had hampered AI development. > "The Trump administration is taking action to rectify the previous administration's actions to weaken the reliability of the electricity grid and our ability to maintain our leadership on artificial intelligence," Zeldin said. "This is the first, and certainly not the last step, and I look forward to continue working with artificial intelligence and data center companies and utilities to resolve any outstanding challenges and make the U.S. the AI capital of the world." https://www.newsweek.com/ai-race-fossil-powered-generators-are-data-centers-dirty-secret-2068791 https://www.newsweek.com/ai-race-fossil-powered-generators-a...
  - baggy_trough 1y ago
    I spent some time and could not find a specific example. You haven't shown one here, either.
    - svnt 1y ago
      Here is one: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-coal-fired-power-plant-consumers-energy-miso-emergency/748972/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-coal-fired-power-plant-... Here is another: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-coal-executive-order-doe-power-plants/744846/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-coal-executive-order-...
      - baggy_trough 1y ago
        Sorry, but they simply are not.
        jimstr 1y ago
        What about https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/24/elon-musk-xai-memphis https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/24/elon-musk...
        svnt 1y ago
        FTA: > In another move, DOE on Tuesday said it was offering loan guarantees for coal-fired power plant projects, such as upgrading energy infrastructure to restart operations or operate more efficiently or at a higher output. Please elaborate.
      - coryrc 1y ago
        trump stooge activities cannot be blamed on data centers. The relevant technical authorities did not want this.
        svnt 1y ago
        What are you talking about? This is literally the only mechanism to allow coal-fired plants to avoid sunsetting on schedule. Who are the “relevant technical authorities”?
        coryrc 1y ago
        "DOE issued the emergency order without a request from the plant owner, transmission provider or grid operator"
        svnt 1y ago
        Without getting in to the fact that none of those people operate datacenters, what does that mean to you? You think Trump and Co are doing this as a purely political move to irritate environmentalists?
- autoexec 1y ago
  https://www.iwf.org/2025/02/13/as-power-demand-rises-existing-units-stay-online-in-georgia/ https://www.iwf.org/2025/02/13/as-power-demand-rises-existin... https://www.alleghenyfront.org/homer-city-pennsylvania-gas-plant-data-center-ai/ https://www.alleghenyfront.org/homer-city-pennsylvania-gas-p... https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-should-restart-shuttered-coal-units-interior-secretary-tells-bloomberg-2025-03-10/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-should-restart-sh...

They’re restarting coal-fired power plants to run AI datacenters. I don’t know what your personal threshold is for “massive” environmental harm, but that meets mine.

baggy_trough 1y ago

What's a specific example of that?

svnt 1y ago
It has been widely reported. Here is an example not of a coal-fired but diesel and gas mobile power sources. If you spend time looking you will have no trouble finding sources. > Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a rule clarification allowing the use of some mobile gas and diesel power sources for data centers. In a statement accompanying the rule, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed that the Biden administration's focus on addressing climate change had hampered AI development. > "The Trump administration is taking action to rectify the previous administration's actions to weaken the reliability of the electricity grid and our ability to maintain our leadership on artificial intelligence," Zeldin said. "This is the first, and certainly not the last step, and I look forward to continue working with artificial intelligence and data center companies and utilities to resolve any outstanding challenges and make the U.S. the AI capital of the world." https://www.newsweek.com/ai-race-fossil-powered-generators-are-data-centers-dirty-secret-2068791 https://www.newsweek.com/ai-race-fossil-powered-generators-a...
- baggy_trough 1y ago
  I spent some time and could not find a specific example. You haven't shown one here, either.
  - svnt 1y ago
    Here is one: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-coal-fired-power-plant-consumers-energy-miso-emergency/748972/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-coal-fired-power-plant-... Here is another: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-coal-executive-order-doe-power-plants/744846/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-coal-executive-order-...
    - baggy_trough 1y ago
      Sorry, but they simply are not.
      - jimstr 1y ago
        What about https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/24/elon-musk-xai-memphis https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/24/elon-musk...
      - svnt 1y ago
        FTA: > In another move, DOE on Tuesday said it was offering loan guarantees for coal-fired power plant projects, such as upgrading energy infrastructure to restart operations or operate more efficiently or at a higher output. Please elaborate.
    - coryrc 1y ago
      trump stooge activities cannot be blamed on data centers. The relevant technical authorities did not want this.
      - svnt 1y ago
        What are you talking about? This is literally the only mechanism to allow coal-fired plants to avoid sunsetting on schedule. Who are the “relevant technical authorities”?
        coryrc 1y ago
        "DOE issued the emergency order without a request from the plant owner, transmission provider or grid operator"
        svnt 1y ago
        Without getting in to the fact that none of those people operate datacenters, what does that mean to you? You think Trump and Co are doing this as a purely political move to irritate environmentalists?
autoexec 1y ago
https://www.iwf.org/2025/02/13/as-power-demand-rises-existing-units-stay-online-in-georgia/ https://www.iwf.org/2025/02/13/as-power-demand-rises-existin... https://www.alleghenyfront.org/homer-city-pennsylvania-gas-plant-data-center-ai/ https://www.alleghenyfront.org/homer-city-pennsylvania-gas-p... https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-should-restart-shuttered-coal-units-interior-secretary-tells-bloomberg-2025-03-10/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-should-restart-sh...