7 pointsby drewlem7 hours ago1 comment
  • Kevin_Flynn7 hours ago
    It's a good idea, datacenters making their own power, and microreactors could make it possible.

    Any other generation method seems to be economically or environmentally more costly, except in the very specific circumstance of geothermal.

    DataCenter + micro reactor could potentially add net energy to the local grid, and use that revenue to pay the community.

    Looks like a win-win-win. Punch some holes in it.

    • verdverm5 hours ago
      Trump will go back to the corporate nepotism after the midterms. He's also made a nothing burger diesel deal with Russia, for the talking points on prices, and who knows what other reasons (the "perfect phone call" is likely another).

      He says and reverses things ad nauseam. Take anything he says over the next two weeks with a sufficient dose of salt.

      re: Data centers, there is a lot of NIMBY that will be hard to work past. The is where America is today, we are very short sighted with these things.

      • Kevin_Flynn5 hours ago
        Yeah, maybe.

        Being more of an engineer than a politician, I thought it was a good idea technically and socially for all of the parties involved in any specific location.

        And as you know, the good ideas outlast the administrations that come and go.

        The issue of what type of waste, and what to do with it of course is the big if in the micro-reactor equation.

        Noone will want those facilities in their backyard either.

        The technology ouroboros is gonna eat us all eventually it seems. :|

        • verdverm5 hours ago
          Some of the NIMBY causes for data centers are

          1. Corrupt politicians, doing deals with corporate shell companies, against the will of the people.

          2. Gas turbines being used by these companies, because America stopped investing in the grid for ~20 years. This is real noise and pollution people don't want, and then they see EOs that undo the very environmental protections meant to keep them safe and healthy.

          3. The economic outlook from Ai. Since the dawn of computers, we stopped making new tasks for the people in these communities as automation replaced tasks and accelerated at doing so.

          There is an interesting story (retold by Asianometry iirc) about China fumbling the first few trash incinerators, learning from that, and have now built almost 1000 of them without much fuss. One of the interesting things I learned is that the Chinese people protested, were allowed to protest, and the government listened. (note, they were not protesting the CCP)