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This is, putting it gently, not a majority opinion in the US and especially not in Texas.

by tptacek 3mo ago

trickypr 3mo ago
In the same way “smoking causes cancer” was a minority opinion in the 50s and 60s.
- tptacek 3mo ago
  You hope. People who believe things you disagree with say the same thing about their beliefs! (I think the way through this mess is huge investment in renewables, and that blue states have calamitously dropped the ball by pushing so much data center construction to red states that aren't going to incentivize that.)
  - rc5150 3mo ago
    "People who believe things you disagree with say the same thing about their beliefs!" This statement can be applied to literally any topic and it fills me with a dread that is only matched by trying to fathom the inifinite nature of the universe and time. The notion of having good faith, well intentioned debate and discourse around any conceivable subject just feels impossible most of the time.
    - tptacek 3mo ago
      That was my point. People disagree about this topic. I happen to agree that climate change is a real and imminent problem (though probably not, with the previous commenter, about its solution space). Pointing to public opinion about smoking in the 1950s is a conclusory argument; it doesn't get us anywhere.
      - harimau777 3mo ago
        The problem is that the two sides disagreeing are not equal.
        tptacek 3mo ago
        Unfortunately for your point, their votes count equivalently.
        doc_ick 3mo ago
        It’s a good thing then we know the science for smoking is bad and too many data centers == bad
- billfor 3mo ago
  A surprisingly small number though. 15%.
BeetleB 3mo ago
> This is, putting it gently, not a majority opinion in the US and especially not in Texas. Texas is the largest producer of renewable energy in the country.
- tptacek 3mo ago
  Yes, because they have open permitting and encourage development. But they are also the largest producers of fossil fuels in the country.
  - BeetleB 3mo ago
    They're actually not the highest on a per capita basis. 3 states produce more than double Texas's, by that metric.
    - pixl97 3mo ago
      I think you're talking about coal production that's sold to other states. Texas leads in both coal and natural gas consumption by far. Texas produces an insane amount of energy.
      - BeetleB 3mo ago
        Yes, but I wouldn't fault Texas for producing electricity to sell to other states. And in any case, that lowers Texan per capita consumption even more given that they're not actually consuming all of it.
        harimau777 3mo ago
        Doesn't Texas have a separate grid which would mean that they can't sell electricity to other states?
        pixl97 3mo ago
        Correct. We have very little cross transfer capability to other grids. Add to that the Texas grid consumes 2x the power of California, so the scales are huge.
captainbland 3mo ago
Unfortunately opinions don't change the reality of physical processes.
- yunnpp 3mo ago
  Fortunately.
shimman 3mo ago
It's not majority opinion to be against data centers? One of the largest bipartisan issues of our time, something like 70% of the US population being against it in some capacity (likely even higher)? https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-ce...
- tptacek 3mo ago
  That poll says Americans broadly oppose data centers in their local area. A poll of all Americans would likely find broad majority support for the construction of data centers in Texas; a poll isomorphic to this one would also find similarly broad opposition to the construction of apartment buildings in their local area.
  - pixl97 3mo ago
    The "9 out if 10 Americans vote to light other Americans on fire" effect.
  - jakebol 3mo ago
    Reuters/Ipsos did some polling on general sentiment about data center construction nationwide last month. “Building data centers at a rapid pace across the US is mainly a good thing” only 33% support, which is a +15% change from local community buildout but hardly a majority. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-da...
  - georgemcbay 3mo ago
    I'm not convinced these two things (data centers vs apartment buildings) are that similar, though there is probably some overlap. People don't just hate the idea of data centers "in their backyard" the way they do with housing, they also just fundamentally despise the tech companies and personalities who are creating these data centers.
    - tptacek 3mo ago

This is, putting it gently, not a majority opinion in the US and especially not in Texas.

by tptacek 3mo ago

This is, putting it gently, not a majority opinion in the US and especially not in Texas.

trickypr 3mo ago

In the same way “smoking causes cancer” was a minority opinion in the 50s and 60s.

tptacek 3mo ago
You hope. People who believe things you disagree with say the same thing about their beliefs! (I think the way through this mess is huge investment in renewables, and that blue states have calamitously dropped the ball by pushing so much data center construction to red states that aren't going to incentivize that.)
- rc5150 3mo ago
  "People who believe things you disagree with say the same thing about their beliefs!" This statement can be applied to literally any topic and it fills me with a dread that is only matched by trying to fathom the inifinite nature of the universe and time. The notion of having good faith, well intentioned debate and discourse around any conceivable subject just feels impossible most of the time.
  - tptacek 3mo ago
    That was my point. People disagree about this topic. I happen to agree that climate change is a real and imminent problem (though probably not, with the previous commenter, about its solution space). Pointing to public opinion about smoking in the 1950s is a conclusory argument; it doesn't get us anywhere.
    - harimau777 3mo ago
      The problem is that the two sides disagreeing are not equal.
      - tptacek 3mo ago
        Unfortunately for your point, their votes count equivalently.
        doc_ick 3mo ago
        It’s a good thing then we know the science for smoking is bad and too many data centers == bad
billfor 3mo ago
A surprisingly small number though. 15%.

BeetleB 3mo ago

> This is, putting it gently, not a majority opinion in the US and especially not in Texas. Texas is the largest producer of renewable energy in the country.

tptacek 3mo ago
Yes, because they have open permitting and encourage development. But they are also the largest producers of fossil fuels in the country.
- BeetleB 3mo ago
  They're actually not the highest on a per capita basis. 3 states produce more than double Texas's, by that metric.
  - pixl97 3mo ago
    I think you're talking about coal production that's sold to other states. Texas leads in both coal and natural gas consumption by far. Texas produces an insane amount of energy.
    - BeetleB 3mo ago
      Yes, but I wouldn't fault Texas for producing electricity to sell to other states. And in any case, that lowers Texan per capita consumption even more given that they're not actually consuming all of it.
      - harimau777 3mo ago
        Doesn't Texas have a separate grid which would mean that they can't sell electricity to other states?
        pixl97 3mo ago
        Correct. We have very little cross transfer capability to other grids. Add to that the Texas grid consumes 2x the power of California, so the scales are huge.

captainbland 3mo ago

Unfortunately opinions don't change the reality of physical processes.

yunnpp 3mo ago
Fortunately.

shimman 3mo ago

It's not majority opinion to be against data centers? One of the largest bipartisan issues of our time, something like 70% of the US population being against it in some capacity (likely even higher)? https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-ce...

tptacek 3mo ago
That poll says Americans broadly oppose data centers in their local area. A poll of all Americans would likely find broad majority support for the construction of data centers in Texas; a poll isomorphic to this one would also find similarly broad opposition to the construction of apartment buildings in their local area.
- pixl97 3mo ago
  The "9 out if 10 Americans vote to light other Americans on fire" effect.
- jakebol 3mo ago
  Reuters/Ipsos did some polling on general sentiment about data center construction nationwide last month. “Building data centers at a rapid pace across the US is mainly a good thing” only 33% support, which is a +15% change from local community buildout but hardly a majority. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-da...
- georgemcbay 3mo ago
  I'm not convinced these two things (data centers vs apartment buildings) are that similar, though there is probably some overlap. People don't just hate the idea of data centers "in their backyard" the way they do with housing, they also just fundamentally despise the tech companies and personalities who are creating these data centers.
  - tptacek 3mo ago