3 ms·

Can they build it safely as fast as the data center it's meant to power? Full steam ahead then.

postalrat 1mo ago
It can be a little later. Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront.
- AndrewDucker 1mo ago
  People do not believe big companies when they say "I'll deal with the externalities a little later."
- triceratops 1mo ago
  So then does the data center compensate local residents for their higher power bills today? Until the new capacity comes online? > Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront. No it's like demanding your new neighbors aren't forced to lend you money for your purchase - which is entirely reasonable. If you need money, get it from the bank. The top-level comment explains it already: "When you drop a data center into an area, energy prices will spike. Additionally, without that green energy capacity they will cause much more air pollution."
- no-name-here 1mo ago
  It typically takes 11-12 years for a nuclear plant to get built including planning and construction [1]. Is the idea that we'd build the data centers now, and finish the nuclear plants to power them 11-12 years from now? https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-timeline-of-a-nuclear-plant-construction-and-start-up-project-Source-IAEA_fig5_304660691 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-timeline-of-a-nu...
  - leonidasrup 1mo ago
    For wind turbine project from design and planning to operational use-takes approximately 4-7 years. An offshore wind turbine project requires about 7-10 years. https://jmhpower.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-wind-turbine/ https://jmhpower.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-wind-t...
    - triceratops 1mo ago
      > For wind turbine project from design and planning to operational use-takes approximately 4-7 years. That's still better than 11-12 years. How long does a solar farm take? If residents' opposition is rooted in higher power prices, data centers could just pay extra instead until the new capacity comes online. Seems like a cheap way to pay off opposition. > An offshore wind turbine project requires about 7-10 years. Given this article is about Pennsylvania, it'll probably take millions of years.
      - leonidasrup 1mo ago
        > How long does a solar farm take? 24–48 months, but for a data center that has to run 24/7 you need to also build a gas power plant. https://www.pvfarm.io/blog/utility-scale-solar-project-development-stages https://www.pvfarm.io/blog/utility-scale-solar-project-devel... https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/betting-big-data-centers-us-now-leads-world-new-gas-power-development https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/betting-big-data-ce...
        triceratops 1mo ago
        Or use batteries. Also residential and industrial use will be lower at night. So the existing grid supply may also be enough.
        leonidasrup 1mo ago
        In many places the contraty is true, peak electricity prices are after sunset, during night.
- lenkite 1mo ago
  > It can be a little later. Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront. Have data center companies mortgaged their property to the public and paying interest on "power loans" monthly ? Please correct me if I am ignorant.
leonidasrup 1mo ago
Some older nuclear power plants are been commissioned back into production: Three Mile Island "2027 – Nuclear Regulatory Commission to decide whether to issue operating license to Constellation Energy, with the decision expected in May. If granted, Constellation expects to bring the reactor back online later in the year." https://www.witf.org/2026/07/28/three-mile-island-reactor-restart-progresses-through-environmental-review-public-comments/ https://www.witf.org/2026/07/28/three-mile-island-reactor-re... Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-first-nuclear-plant-restart https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-first-... Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nextera-energy-partners-with-google-restart-iowa-nuclear-plant-2025-10-27/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nextera-energy-partn... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Arnold_Energy_Center#Restart https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Arnold_Energy_Center#Res...
- triceratops 1mo ago
  If electricity bills are steady or falling they should have no trouble convincing voters. Nothing to worry about.
bluGill 1mo ago
You don't need to build them. You can just not retire, or unretire one. Though we really should get better at building nuclear power plants. I'm think more of small ones to power ships though, not land based ones. Ships are one of the few places where oil/coal are used that there are not realistic renewable alternatives.

It can be a little later. Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront.

AndrewDucker 1mo ago
People do not believe big companies when they say "I'll deal with the externalities a little later."
triceratops 1mo ago
So then does the data center compensate local residents for their higher power bills today? Until the new capacity comes online? > Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront. No it's like demanding your new neighbors aren't forced to lend you money for your purchase - which is entirely reasonable. If you need money, get it from the bank. The top-level comment explains it already: "When you drop a data center into an area, energy prices will spike. Additionally, without that green energy capacity they will cause much more air pollution."
no-name-here 1mo ago
It typically takes 11-12 years for a nuclear plant to get built including planning and construction [1]. Is the idea that we'd build the data centers now, and finish the nuclear plants to power them 11-12 years from now? https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-timeline-of-a-nuclear-plant-construction-and-start-up-project-Source-IAEA_fig5_304660691 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-timeline-of-a-nu...
- leonidasrup 1mo ago
  For wind turbine project from design and planning to operational use-takes approximately 4-7 years. An offshore wind turbine project requires about 7-10 years. https://jmhpower.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-wind-turbine/ https://jmhpower.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-wind-t...
  - triceratops 1mo ago
    > For wind turbine project from design and planning to operational use-takes approximately 4-7 years. That's still better than 11-12 years. How long does a solar farm take? If residents' opposition is rooted in higher power prices, data centers could just pay extra instead until the new capacity comes online. Seems like a cheap way to pay off opposition. > An offshore wind turbine project requires about 7-10 years. Given this article is about Pennsylvania, it'll probably take millions of years.
    - leonidasrup 1mo ago
      > How long does a solar farm take? 24–48 months, but for a data center that has to run 24/7 you need to also build a gas power plant. https://www.pvfarm.io/blog/utility-scale-solar-project-development-stages https://www.pvfarm.io/blog/utility-scale-solar-project-devel... https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/betting-big-data-centers-us-now-leads-world-new-gas-power-development https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/betting-big-data-ce...
      - triceratops 1mo ago
        Or use batteries. Also residential and industrial use will be lower at night. So the existing grid supply may also be enough.
        leonidasrup 1mo ago
        In many places the contraty is true, peak electricity prices are after sunset, during night.
lenkite 1mo ago
> It can be a little later. Your requirements is like demanding nobody can buy a house unless they have pay they entire amount upfront. Have data center companies mortgaged their property to the public and paying interest on "power loans" monthly ? Please correct me if I am ignorant.

leonidasrup 1mo ago

Some older nuclear power plants are been commissioned back into production: Three Mile Island "2027 – Nuclear Regulatory Commission to decide whether to issue operating license to Constellation Energy, with the decision expected in May. If granted, Constellation expects to bring the reactor back online later in the year." https://www.witf.org/2026/07/28/three-mile-island-reactor-restart-progresses-through-environmental-review-public-comments/ https://www.witf.org/2026/07/28/three-mile-island-reactor-re... Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-first-nuclear-plant-restart https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-first-... Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nextera-energy-partners-with-google-restart-iowa-nuclear-plant-2025-10-27/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nextera-energy-partn... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Arnold_Energy_Center#Restart https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Arnold_Energy_Center#Res...

triceratops 1mo ago
If electricity bills are steady or falling they should have no trouble convincing voters. Nothing to worry about.

bluGill 1mo ago

You don't need to build them. You can just not retire, or unretire one. Though we really should get better at building nuclear power plants. I'm think more of small ones to power ships though, not land based ones. Ships are one of the few places where oil/coal are used that there are not realistic renewable alternatives.