4 ms·
> The grid is a shared resource, used by enterprise and individuals. If some class of consumers demand an outsized share of that resource, they should pay an ou
by parineum 4mo ago
> The grid is a shared resource, used by enterprise and individuals. If some class of consumers demand an outsized share of that resource, they should pay an outsized share of its maintenance and development. I don't see that happening.
That makes sense up until you realize that the data centers aren't just burning watts for fun. They're providing a service that is in extremely high demand to a very high amount of those other electricity customers.
> It's as if trucking companies flooded the highways with so many trucks that people couldn't commute to work anymore.
And those trucks are delivering products to the stores those commuters shop at.
- usrnm 4mo agoAnd we have a perfect instrument to express this relationship: money. If the service is really important to people they will pay money for it, and the companies can pay some of that money to utility providers. The economy works as intended, everyone is happy. Absolutely no need to invent subsidies or move the burden onto consumers
- polski-g 4mo agoThe problem is that the datacenters need grid investments. And if the utility makes those debt-backed investments but then the DC goes bankrupt, households are on the hook for the debt servicing. Utilities requiring ten year of prepayment from the DCs makes sense.