• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Unless they’re finding exciting new and efficient ways to generate electricity, I imagine its a linear comparison. Maybe some are worse than others. I know Grok’s datacenter in Mississippi is relying exclusively on portable gas powered electric generators that are wrecking havoc on the local environment.

    • mox@lemmy.sdf.org
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      2 months ago

      I didn’t know that; thanks for sharing.

      (BTW, I think you meant wreaking havoc.)

    • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Maybe this is the push we need to switch to nuclear. The attack is good it just needs somebody with deeper pockets than coal/gas to lobby it.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Microsoft is trying to restart Three Mile Island. But that’s a very old facility. I don’t see too much interest in building new ones.

        • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Kind of. Microsoft is offering to buy the electricity and put jobs and data centers nearby, the state is reactivating the site.

          If more AI companies dedicate to buying vast amounts of electricity, there’s money and jobs in it

          But if they eye companies start making concentrated demand, It won’t people with deep pockets long to figure out how to turn up some small scale high output plants.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            If more AI companies dedicate to buying vast amounts of electricity, there’s money and jobs in it

            Google the history of the Vogtle 3 and 4 reactors in Georgia. I don’t think tech firms have 16 years to invest in new energy plants.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        More the plunge in O&G prices during the 1980s. Coal, oil, and natural gas got incredibly cheap under Reagan after the US cut sweetheart deals with the Saudis. Nuclear has huge upfront development costs, while oil, gas, and coal are very cheap to start up and run incredibly high margins.

        Lobbying and activism had very little impact, as evidenced by the campaigns against coal waste and gas flaring and strip mining that all fell flat.