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The solution is simple: require datacenters to overprovision solar panels and grid-scale batteries for themselves, and use that capacity to strengthen the grid

The solution is simple: require datacenters to overprovision solar panels and grid-scale batteries for themselves, and use that capacity to strengthen the grid and transition off of hydrocarbons.

ch4s3 3mo ago
You can’t get a grid tie for those panels in most of the US right now. The process for connecting to the grid is done serially, and requires a large study for any new generation.
- timschmidt 3mo ago
  No idea what you're talking about. My local utility lit up 100MW of solar over the last year alone. Everywhere I look is doing the same.
  - Matticus_Rex 3mo ago
    He's talking about the interconnection queue. You see the 100MW of solar they're wiring up, but not the hundreds of gigawatts in the queue.
    - timschmidt 3mo ago
      I imagine it'd be a lot easier to get a giant datacenter through the queue and connected if said datacenter also generated more than it's own needs with solar and grid scale battery. You'd essentially be asking the grid to act as a backup and sink for spare generation. Avoiding a need for central generation capacity buildout.
      - ch4s3 3mo ago
        > I imagine it'd be a lot easier to get a giant datacenter through the queue and connected if said datacenter also generated more than it's own needs You'd be wrong. Projects get evaluated FIFO, and each has to do a grid impact study. Data centers are buying other generation projects to get a better position in line. This is all the result of bad regulation.
- trollbridge 3mo ago
  Sure you can. The datacentre builders just don't want the (fairly modest) extra expense to do so properly. Obviously some preparatory work is required before dumping a lot of extra capacity into the grid. My state allowed the power utilities to charge a modest fee ($10,000 to $100,000, depending on project size) before a yet-to-be-built data centre could demand a large amount of electricity. The amount of planned data centres went down by an order of magnitude. The truth is that most of the data centre builders (not all) do not want to be responsible citizens and are simply extracting value and wealth from other people, including from the power utilities and grid operators.
  - ch4s3 3mo ago
    There's a years long queue for every US grid.
    - trollbridge 3mo ago
      The queue is no longer a year long here once they started charging those study fees.
      - ch4s3 3mo ago
        In YOUR state. This is because projects are hopping around and looking for short lines with other considerations. However that doesn't change the fact that its too hard to bring generation onto the grind in the US.
- hdgvhicv 3mo ago
  Down. So they are self sufficient in winter and in summer they use excess energy to create green hydrogen.
bamboozled 3mo ago
The EPA has been dismantled basically, so there is no "solution" like that going to happen. Source [1] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKg_BLqOet8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKg_BLqOet8

The solution is simple: require datacenters to overprovision solar panels and grid-scale batteries for themselves, and use that capacity to strengthen the grid and transition off of hydrocarbons.

ch4s3 3mo ago

You can’t get a grid tie for those panels in most of the US right now. The process for connecting to the grid is done serially, and requires a large study for any new generation.

timschmidt 3mo ago
No idea what you're talking about. My local utility lit up 100MW of solar over the last year alone. Everywhere I look is doing the same.
- Matticus_Rex 3mo ago
  He's talking about the interconnection queue. You see the 100MW of solar they're wiring up, but not the hundreds of gigawatts in the queue.
  - timschmidt 3mo ago
    I imagine it'd be a lot easier to get a giant datacenter through the queue and connected if said datacenter also generated more than it's own needs with solar and grid scale battery. You'd essentially be asking the grid to act as a backup and sink for spare generation. Avoiding a need for central generation capacity buildout.
    - ch4s3 3mo ago
      > I imagine it'd be a lot easier to get a giant datacenter through the queue and connected if said datacenter also generated more than it's own needs You'd be wrong. Projects get evaluated FIFO, and each has to do a grid impact study. Data centers are buying other generation projects to get a better position in line. This is all the result of bad regulation.
trollbridge 3mo ago
Sure you can. The datacentre builders just don't want the (fairly modest) extra expense to do so properly. Obviously some preparatory work is required before dumping a lot of extra capacity into the grid. My state allowed the power utilities to charge a modest fee ($10,000 to $100,000, depending on project size) before a yet-to-be-built data centre could demand a large amount of electricity. The amount of planned data centres went down by an order of magnitude. The truth is that most of the data centre builders (not all) do not want to be responsible citizens and are simply extracting value and wealth from other people, including from the power utilities and grid operators.
- ch4s3 3mo ago
  There's a years long queue for every US grid.
  - trollbridge 3mo ago
    The queue is no longer a year long here once they started charging those study fees.
    - ch4s3 3mo ago
      In YOUR state. This is because projects are hopping around and looking for short lines with other considerations. However that doesn't change the fact that its too hard to bring generation onto the grind in the US.
hdgvhicv 3mo ago
Down. So they are self sufficient in winter and in summer they use excess energy to create green hydrogen.

bamboozled 3mo ago

The EPA has been dismantled basically, so there is no "solution" like that going to happen. Source [1] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKg_BLqOet8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKg_BLqOet8