24 ms·

NIMBY seems to have a hard time stopping data centers. Why do they have more success stopping renewables and rail?

by kavok 6mo ago

Avicebron 6mo ago
If we put the same amount of economic pressure on rail that data centers have...the US would have probably have almost as nice infrastructure as China and be significantly better off.
CharlieDigital 6mo ago
NIMBY is stopping data centers. Maine set to become first state with data center ban: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/maine-data-center-ban.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/maine-data-center-ban.html Also, it's a different kind of more insidious and visceral NIMBY rooted in racism and classism.
- WillPostForFood 6mo ago
  Yes, see the famous essay, Nimby Good When My Neighborhood by I Hyppocrit.
- ghaff 6mo ago
  Not sure it's a bad thing. So, they would employ maybe 30 people after they're built. Consume a lot of power and water. I'd have to see the details of a specific proposal but I'd probably vote against personally.
- kavok 6mo ago
  Sure, it’s stopping some, but not most/all even with strong public opposition. See: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/small-missouri-town-ousts-half-its-city-council-after-usd6-billion-ai-data-center-approval-petition-calls-for-mayors-removal-as-frustration-and-violence-over-ai-data-centers-mounts https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/small-missouri-to...
- kulahan 6mo ago
  It's facetious to pretend NIMBYs are as such because they're racist and classist, rather than because they just want to protect the single most valuable and future-determining investment they'll make in their entire lives.
  - otterley 6mo ago
    Those factors are tied together and aren’t easily separable. The racism and classism comes in because they believe that people of a different race or class will diminish the value of their investment.
    - tormeh 6mo ago
      If enough people believe this then it is true. That's just how markets work.
      - otterley 6mo ago
        It is how (unregulated) markets work, but is this the right outcome? What do you think would happen if this were allowed to play out to its logical extent?
        kulahan 5mo ago
        Desirable things become expensive and undesirable things become inexpensive.
kjkjadksj 6mo ago
The public rail industry has no bribing mechanism unlike the data center industry and the fossil fuel industry. Did I write bribe? Sorry, “campaign contribution.” But sometimes also literally bribes like Tony Soprano cash in the bag.

NIMBY seems to have a hard time stopping data centers. Why do they have more success stopping renewables and rail?

by kavok 6mo ago

NIMBY seems to have a hard time stopping data centers. Why do they have more success stopping renewables and rail?

If we put the same amount of economic pressure on rail that data centers have...the US would have probably have almost as nice infrastructure as China and be significantly better off.

CharlieDigital 6mo ago

NIMBY is stopping data centers. Maine set to become first state with data center ban: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/maine-data-center-ban.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/maine-data-center-ban.html Also, it's a different kind of more insidious and visceral NIMBY rooted in racism and classism.

WillPostForFood 6mo ago
Yes, see the famous essay, Nimby Good When My Neighborhood by I Hyppocrit.
ghaff 6mo ago
Not sure it's a bad thing. So, they would employ maybe 30 people after they're built. Consume a lot of power and water. I'd have to see the details of a specific proposal but I'd probably vote against personally.
kavok 6mo ago
Sure, it’s stopping some, but not most/all even with strong public opposition. See: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/small-missouri-town-ousts-half-its-city-council-after-usd6-billion-ai-data-center-approval-petition-calls-for-mayors-removal-as-frustration-and-violence-over-ai-data-centers-mounts https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/small-missouri-to...
kulahan 6mo ago
It's facetious to pretend NIMBYs are as such because they're racist and classist, rather than because they just want to protect the single most valuable and future-determining investment they'll make in their entire lives.
- otterley 6mo ago
  Those factors are tied together and aren’t easily separable. The racism and classism comes in because they believe that people of a different race or class will diminish the value of their investment.
  - tormeh 6mo ago
    If enough people believe this then it is true. That's just how markets work.
    - otterley 6mo ago
      It is how (unregulated) markets work, but is this the right outcome? What do you think would happen if this were allowed to play out to its logical extent?
      - kulahan 5mo ago
        Desirable things become expensive and undesirable things become inexpensive.

kjkjadksj 6mo ago

The public rail industry has no bribing mechanism unlike the data center industry and the fossil fuel industry. Did I write bribe? Sorry, “campaign contribution.” But sometimes also literally bribes like Tony Soprano cash in the bag.