Data Center FUD

Thefunksouljon

All-Conference
Jan 26, 2004
1,818
3,368
113
 
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LafayetteBear

Heisman
Nov 30, 2009
34,745
10,212
113

Higher living standards for WHOM? We have a K shaped economy right now, Piggy. The people making big money in AI are already uber wealthy. Joe Sixpack is having trouble making ends meet. AI is not putting bread on his table. I don't dispute the notion that AI is likely to bring with it significant technological and economic progress, but it is almost certain to be distributed in a wildly uneven manner. Moreover, the resources that these ginormous data centers consume, particularly water and electricity,, are already in relatively scarce supply. Why do you think communities around the country are fighting the installation of data centers in their midst?
 
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fskillet

All-Conference
Mar 26, 2026
730
2,073
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What do you not like about data centers?
I've had two clients (rural WWTPs) get shut down and kick out other revenue generating streams from local industrial facilities due to being overloaded with wastewater coming from new data centers that's loaded with high metals which kills their anaerobic digestion bugs. The plants didn't want to accept it because they knew this would happen and they're losing revenue due to not being able to accept other industrial wastewater from industry in their county. It has a snowball effect because now those local manufacturers are having to spend a ton more managing their wastewater just to placate the data centers.

The same is also likely to happen to the Lower Berkeley plant in Goose Creek thanks to the MEK plant in Goose Creek. Hell, Plum Island raised their industrial wastewater rates from $.02/g to $.26/g thanks in part to overflow from the Lower Berkeley plant. Friend of mine works for a company in West Ashley that was discharging 200k gallons/month and their monthly disposal rate went from $4k to ~$55k.

I think it's all due to it being so early in the rush and it will likely all get itself worked out, but there is tons of industry in rural areas getting pounded by this. Hopefully we get some kind of handle on this, and I think we will, but in the meantime there is definitely an impact on local industry.
 

Moral

Heisman
Dec 16, 2022
10,829
39,448
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I wonder what percentage of data centers are actually just used for data collection by ALPR cameras like flock? The sudden need for data centers and the ALPR surveillance state boom pretty well track with each other.
 
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fatpiggy

Heisman
Aug 18, 2002
26,488
25,482
113
I wonder what percentage of data centers are actually just used for data collection by ALPR cameras like flock? The sudden need for data centers and the ALPR surveillance state boom pretty well track with each other.
Well we have had the NSA place in Utah (?) since Bush was in office and im pretty sure that vacuums up all internet traffic already.
 

jimneffer

All-American
Jan 27, 2026
2,009
5,981
113
What do you not like about data centers?
me? i'm not necessarily against data centers at all. there's clearly positives and negatives. i think you'll find that most people with experience in land use planning having very nuanced opinions on most of these controversial issues (warehouses, large highway projects, solar farms, landfills, and now data centers)

i believe wholeheartedly that a community should be able to use the land use tools at their disposal (and within the legal framework provided) to set standards and guidelines for how they develop

again...i'm not relying solely on social media content to develop an opinion on this issue. i've dealt directly with communities, land owners, and the general public. so that may be where we differ.
 

fatpiggy

Heisman
Aug 18, 2002
26,488
25,482
113
me? i'm not necessarily against data centers at all. there's clearly positives and negatives. i think you'll find that most people with experience in land use planning having very nuanced opinions on most of these controversial issues (warehouses, large highway projects, solar farms, landfills, and now data centers)

i believe wholeheartedly that a community should be able to use the land use tools at their disposal (and within the legal framework provided) to set standards and guidelines for how they develop

again...i'm not relying solely on social media content to develop an opinion on this issue. i've dealt directly with communities, land owners, and the general public. so that may be where we differ.
I’m not a mechanic but I know how to drive a car.


Good for you working on the issue, but I dont think that gives you a unique perspective. I invest in the space and know enough to have a valid opinion.
 
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