#aidatacenters — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #aidatacenters, aggregated by home.social.
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Um... ☢️
A #Michigan #NuclearPlant shut down for good is being switched back on for #AI power
Story by Everett Sloane, September 6, 2026
"A nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan that shut down for good four years ago is now weeks or months away from producing electricity again, in what would be the first time in American history a retired commercial reactor has been brought back online. #Palisades #Nuclear Generating Station, in #CovertTownship, Michigan, ceased operating in 2022 after Entergy concluded it no longer made economic sense to keep running. Its new owner, #HoltecInternational, is now racing to restart it, betting that the same wave of electricity demand from artificial intelligence #datacenters reshaping the U.S. power grid can justify resurrecting a plant that was, until recently, on a path toward permanent teardown. The attempt is being closely watched across the utility industry because more than a dozen other reactors were permanently retired nationwide over the past decade, and each one is a potential candidate for the same kind of revival if Palisades proves it can be done safely and on budget."
#AISucks #AIDatacenters #NoNukesForAI #NoNukes #Holtec #PalisadesNuclearPlant #PalisadesNPP #WaterIsLife #LakeMichigan #RethinkNotRestart #AIBoom 💥
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Um... ☢️
A #Michigan #NuclearPlant shut down for good is being switched back on for #AI power
Story by Everett Sloane, September 6, 2026
"A nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan that shut down for good four years ago is now weeks or months away from producing electricity again, in what would be the first time in American history a retired commercial reactor has been brought back online. #Palisades #Nuclear Generating Station, in #CovertTownship, Michigan, ceased operating in 2022 after Entergy concluded it no longer made economic sense to keep running. Its new owner, #HoltecInternational, is now racing to restart it, betting that the same wave of electricity demand from artificial intelligence #datacenters reshaping the U.S. power grid can justify resurrecting a plant that was, until recently, on a path toward permanent teardown. The attempt is being closely watched across the utility industry because more than a dozen other reactors were permanently retired nationwide over the past decade, and each one is a potential candidate for the same kind of revival if Palisades proves it can be done safely and on budget."
#AISucks #AIDatacenters #NoNukesForAI #NoNukes #Holtec #PalisadesNuclearPlant #PalisadesNPP #WaterIsLife #LakeMichigan #RethinkNotRestart #AIBoom 💥
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Um... ☢️
A #Michigan #NuclearPlant shut down for good is being switched back on for #AI power
Story by Everett Sloane, September 6, 2026
"A nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan that shut down for good four years ago is now weeks or months away from producing electricity again, in what would be the first time in American history a retired commercial reactor has been brought back online. #Palisades #Nuclear Generating Station, in #CovertTownship, Michigan, ceased operating in 2022 after Entergy concluded it no longer made economic sense to keep running. Its new owner, #HoltecInternational, is now racing to restart it, betting that the same wave of electricity demand from artificial intelligence #datacenters reshaping the U.S. power grid can justify resurrecting a plant that was, until recently, on a path toward permanent teardown. The attempt is being closely watched across the utility industry because more than a dozen other reactors were permanently retired nationwide over the past decade, and each one is a potential candidate for the same kind of revival if Palisades proves it can be done safely and on budget."
#AISucks #AIDatacenters #NoNukesForAI #NoNukes #Holtec #PalisadesNuclearPlant #PalisadesNPP #WaterIsLife #LakeMichigan #RethinkNotRestart #AIBoom 💥
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Um... ☢️
A #Michigan #NuclearPlant shut down for good is being switched back on for #AI power
Story by Everett Sloane, September 6, 2026
"A nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan that shut down for good four years ago is now weeks or months away from producing electricity again, in what would be the first time in American history a retired commercial reactor has been brought back online. #Palisades #Nuclear Generating Station, in #CovertTownship, Michigan, ceased operating in 2022 after Entergy concluded it no longer made economic sense to keep running. Its new owner, #HoltecInternational, is now racing to restart it, betting that the same wave of electricity demand from artificial intelligence #datacenters reshaping the U.S. power grid can justify resurrecting a plant that was, until recently, on a path toward permanent teardown. The attempt is being closely watched across the utility industry because more than a dozen other reactors were permanently retired nationwide over the past decade, and each one is a potential candidate for the same kind of revival if Palisades proves it can be done safely and on budget."
#AISucks #AIDatacenters #NoNukesForAI #NoNukes #Holtec #PalisadesNuclearPlant #PalisadesNPP #WaterIsLife #LakeMichigan #RethinkNotRestart #AIBoom 💥
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Um... ☢️
A #Michigan #NuclearPlant shut down for good is being switched back on for #AI power
Story by Everett Sloane, September 6, 2026
"A nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan that shut down for good four years ago is now weeks or months away from producing electricity again, in what would be the first time in American history a retired commercial reactor has been brought back online. #Palisades #Nuclear Generating Station, in #CovertTownship, Michigan, ceased operating in 2022 after Entergy concluded it no longer made economic sense to keep running. Its new owner, #HoltecInternational, is now racing to restart it, betting that the same wave of electricity demand from artificial intelligence #datacenters reshaping the U.S. power grid can justify resurrecting a plant that was, until recently, on a path toward permanent teardown. The attempt is being closely watched across the utility industry because more than a dozen other reactors were permanently retired nationwide over the past decade, and each one is a potential candidate for the same kind of revival if Palisades proves it can be done safely and on budget."
#AISucks #AIDatacenters #NoNukesForAI #NoNukes #Holtec #PalisadesNuclearPlant #PalisadesNPP #WaterIsLife #LakeMichigan #RethinkNotRestart #AIBoom 💥
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#GorhamME officials consider permanent ban on #Datacenters
Several cities and towns in Maine already have moratoriums on data centers, and others are looking to do the same.
by WGME Staff, Fri, September 4, 2026
GORHAM (WGME) -- "The Town of Gorham is considering a permanent ban on data centers.
"The town already passed a moratorium in June, temporarily banning them.
"On Tuesday, town councilors voted unanimously to have the planning board schedule a public hearing and find out if the ban should become permanent.
"Before the ban could go into effect, the planning board will need to vote to change the town's land use and development code."
Read more:
https://wgme.com/news/local/gorham-officials-consider-permanent-ban-on-data-centers-maine-economy#MainePol #DatacenterMoratorium #DatacenterMoratoriums #Datacentres #DatacentreMoratorium #Hyperscale #Hyperconsumption #AIDatacenters #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyWaste
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#Texas Gov. #GregAbbott on #AIDataCenter Backlash: 'They Dug Their Own Grave'
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, August 23, 2026
"#NewYork Gov. #KathyHochul (D) and #Kentucky Gov. #AndyBeshear (D) have pushed back against the expansion of #AIDataCenters in their respective states. But with the increasing backlash from communities and individuals toward new #datacenter construction and expansion, even governors that have embraced the #AIRevolution, like #Pennsylvania's #JoshShapiro (D), are now moderating and talking about scaling back.
"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is one governor whose state has embraced the data center expansion. In November 2025, Abbott declared that Texas is the 'epicenter of AI development' in his announcement of #Google building three data center campuses to the tune of $40 million dollars.
"Fast forward to August of 2026, and Abbott acknowledges that much of the community resistance to the construction of new and existing data centers is the fault of the AI companies."
[...]
"Abbott is not wrong. According to a report from #DataCenterWatch, 64 billion in data center projects have been blocked or delayed in #Arizona, #Utah, #Missouri, #Oregon, and #California, to name a few. Even formerly friendly #Virginia is pushing back. #CommunityOpposition surrounds the lack of information provided and the lack of accountability taken towards the citizens who will be most affected.
"Water and power concerns loom large. Many of the newer development concepts, like entrepreneur #KevinOLeary 's 9 megawatt #StratosProject in #Utah, will have their own self-sustaining water and power systems. However, this did not prevent the backlash by #environmentalists and local activists to shut the Stratos Project down, and Utah state lawmakers ultimately backpedaled from their original approval and requested O'Leary cut the project's 400,000-acre footprint down to 10,000, about 75 percent. "
#AISucks #AIDataCenters #AIResistance #USPol #WorldPol #Datacenters #Datacentres #AIDatacentres #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution #LandIsLife #EnergyConsumption
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#SaveMyLouisiana leads protest against Applied Digital data center
Story by Melinda Martinez, July 20, 2026
"Save My Louisiana organized a #protest against the #AppliedDigital #datacenter being built in the small Central Louisiana community of Boyce on Saturday, July 18.
"Those at the protest were concerned with non-disclosure agreements [#NDA's] signed by local officials, higher utility costs and the #EnvironmentalImpact of the Applied Digital data center. A few also questioned the true economic impact of the project, which they think will benefit the company, but not Central #Louisiana.
"Applied Digital, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure company, broke ground in January on #DeltaForge1, a large-scale artificial intelligence data center located at James Road and La. 121 near Boyce. A news release issued by the Louisiana Economic Development states it is expected to be finished by mid-2027.
"At a news conference held in May announcing the building of the $3.6 billion data center, Applied Digital board director Richard Nottenburg said that the Delta Forge 1 data center is not a traditional data center.
"Applied Digital has been working on transitioning from air cooled to liquid cooled data centers, said Applied Digital president and co-founder Jason Zhang at the same news conference.
“ 'Our design is a proprietary design that allows us to use very minimal water,' he said, adding that it’s an issue that is very important to communities where data centers are built." [So, in other words, an alleged "closed loop system"! But even closed loop systems have to be flushed periodically!!!]
#AIDatacenters #CorporateColonialism #ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #LightPollution #ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks
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#SaveMyLouisiana leads protest against Applied Digital data center
Story by Melinda Martinez, July 20, 2026
"Save My Louisiana organized a #protest against the #AppliedDigital #datacenter being built in the small Central Louisiana community of Boyce on Saturday, July 18.
"Those at the protest were concerned with non-disclosure agreements [#NDA's] signed by local officials, higher utility costs and the #EnvironmentalImpact of the Applied Digital data center. A few also questioned the true economic impact of the project, which they think will benefit the company, but not Central #Louisiana.
"Applied Digital, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure company, broke ground in January on #DeltaForge1, a large-scale artificial intelligence data center located at James Road and La. 121 near Boyce. A news release issued by the Louisiana Economic Development states it is expected to be finished by mid-2027.
"At a news conference held in May announcing the building of the $3.6 billion data center, Applied Digital board director Richard Nottenburg said that the Delta Forge 1 data center is not a traditional data center.
"Applied Digital has been working on transitioning from air cooled to liquid cooled data centers, said Applied Digital president and co-founder Jason Zhang at the same news conference.
“ 'Our design is a proprietary design that allows us to use very minimal water,' he said, adding that it’s an issue that is very important to communities where data centers are built." [So, in other words, an alleged "closed loop system"! But even closed loop systems have to be flushed periodically!!!]
#AIDatacenters #CorporateColonialism #ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #LightPollution #ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks
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#SaveMyLouisiana leads protest against Applied Digital data center
Story by Melinda Martinez, July 20, 2026
"Save My Louisiana organized a #protest against the #AppliedDigital #datacenter being built in the small Central Louisiana community of Boyce on Saturday, July 18.
"Those at the protest were concerned with non-disclosure agreements [#NDA's] signed by local officials, higher utility costs and the #EnvironmentalImpact of the Applied Digital data center. A few also questioned the true economic impact of the project, which they think will benefit the company, but not Central #Louisiana.
"Applied Digital, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure company, broke ground in January on #DeltaForge1, a large-scale artificial intelligence data center located at James Road and La. 121 near Boyce. A news release issued by the Louisiana Economic Development states it is expected to be finished by mid-2027.
"At a news conference held in May announcing the building of the $3.6 billion data center, Applied Digital board director Richard Nottenburg said that the Delta Forge 1 data center is not a traditional data center.
"Applied Digital has been working on transitioning from air cooled to liquid cooled data centers, said Applied Digital president and co-founder Jason Zhang at the same news conference.
“ 'Our design is a proprietary design that allows us to use very minimal water,' he said, adding that it’s an issue that is very important to communities where data centers are built." [So, in other words, an alleged "closed loop system"! But even closed loop systems have to be flushed periodically!!!]
#AIDatacenters #CorporateColonialism #ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #LightPollution #ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks
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#SaveMyLouisiana leads protest against Applied Digital data center
Story by Melinda Martinez, July 20, 2026
"Save My Louisiana organized a #protest against the #AppliedDigital #datacenter being built in the small Central Louisiana community of Boyce on Saturday, July 18.
"Those at the protest were concerned with non-disclosure agreements [#NDA's] signed by local officials, higher utility costs and the #EnvironmentalImpact of the Applied Digital data center. A few also questioned the true economic impact of the project, which they think will benefit the company, but not Central #Louisiana.
"Applied Digital, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure company, broke ground in January on #DeltaForge1, a large-scale artificial intelligence data center located at James Road and La. 121 near Boyce. A news release issued by the Louisiana Economic Development states it is expected to be finished by mid-2027.
"At a news conference held in May announcing the building of the $3.6 billion data center, Applied Digital board director Richard Nottenburg said that the Delta Forge 1 data center is not a traditional data center.
"Applied Digital has been working on transitioning from air cooled to liquid cooled data centers, said Applied Digital president and co-founder Jason Zhang at the same news conference.
“ 'Our design is a proprietary design that allows us to use very minimal water,' he said, adding that it’s an issue that is very important to communities where data centers are built." [So, in other words, an alleged "closed loop system"! But even closed loop systems have to be flushed periodically!!!]
#AIDatacenters #CorporateColonialism #ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #LightPollution #ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks
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#SaveMyLouisiana leads protest against Applied Digital data center
Story by Melinda Martinez, July 20, 2026
"Save My Louisiana organized a #protest against the #AppliedDigital #datacenter being built in the small Central Louisiana community of Boyce on Saturday, July 18.
"Those at the protest were concerned with non-disclosure agreements [#NDA's] signed by local officials, higher utility costs and the #EnvironmentalImpact of the Applied Digital data center. A few also questioned the true economic impact of the project, which they think will benefit the company, but not Central #Louisiana.
"Applied Digital, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure company, broke ground in January on #DeltaForge1, a large-scale artificial intelligence data center located at James Road and La. 121 near Boyce. A news release issued by the Louisiana Economic Development states it is expected to be finished by mid-2027.
"At a news conference held in May announcing the building of the $3.6 billion data center, Applied Digital board director Richard Nottenburg said that the Delta Forge 1 data center is not a traditional data center.
"Applied Digital has been working on transitioning from air cooled to liquid cooled data centers, said Applied Digital president and co-founder Jason Zhang at the same news conference.
“ 'Our design is a proprietary design that allows us to use very minimal water,' he said, adding that it’s an issue that is very important to communities where data centers are built." [So, in other words, an alleged "closed loop system"! But even closed loop systems have to be flushed periodically!!!]
#AIDatacenters #CorporateColonialism #ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #LightPollution #ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks
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Wait, what..? Something both the #Left and #Right can agree on?!! Maybe the right is waking up to #CorporateColonialism! Good! Our #CorporateOverlords take advantage of everyone!
#Datacenter opponents stage 142 #protests across 42 US states
Story by Valerie Volcovici and Lisa Baertlein, July 18, 2026
Excerpt: "Opponents of the rapid buildout of #datacenters held 142 protests across 42 states on Saturday in the first nationwide effort to channel anger at the #AI infrastructure expansion that has ramped up over the past year and roiled local politics.
"The protests were coordinated by #HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the modern-day #TeaParty. She compares growing opposition to data centers to the right-wing populist movement that emerged in 2009 to protest what it saw as excessive taxation and government overreach.
"Protesters rallied against what HumansFirst calls the 'unaccountable' buildout of #datacenters and 'unacceptable infringement on our liberty.'
"In #FredericksburgVA, one young man carried a sign reading, 'We thrive on water not data.' In #AtlantaGA, a small knot of protesters wielded signs reading, '#Georgia never voted for #hyperscale #AIDatacenters. ' "
Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/data-center-opponents-stage-142-protests-across-42-us-states/ar-AA28cU6m#ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck
#NoisePollution #LightPollution
#ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks -
Wait, what..? Something both the #Left and #Right can agree on?!! Maybe the right is waking up to #CorporateColonialism! Good! Our #CorporateOverlords take advantage of everyone!
#Datacenter opponents stage 142 #protests across 42 US states
Story by Valerie Volcovici and Lisa Baertlein, July 18, 2026
Excerpt: "Opponents of the rapid buildout of #datacenters held 142 protests across 42 states on Saturday in the first nationwide effort to channel anger at the #AI infrastructure expansion that has ramped up over the past year and roiled local politics.
"The protests were coordinated by #HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the modern-day #TeaParty. She compares growing opposition to data centers to the right-wing populist movement that emerged in 2009 to protest what it saw as excessive taxation and government overreach.
"Protesters rallied against what HumansFirst calls the 'unaccountable' buildout of #datacenters and 'unacceptable infringement on our liberty.'
"In #FredericksburgVA, one young man carried a sign reading, 'We thrive on water not data.' In #AtlantaGA, a small knot of protesters wielded signs reading, '#Georgia never voted for #hyperscale #AIDatacenters. ' "
Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/data-center-opponents-stage-142-protests-across-42-us-states/ar-AA28cU6m#ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck
#NoisePollution #LightPollution
#ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks -
Wait, what..? Something both the #Left and #Right can agree on?!! Maybe the right is waking up to #CorporateColonialism! Good! Our #CorporateOverlords take advantage of everyone!
#Datacenter opponents stage 142 #protests across 42 US states
Story by Valerie Volcovici and Lisa Baertlein, July 18, 2026
Excerpt: "Opponents of the rapid buildout of #datacenters held 142 protests across 42 states on Saturday in the first nationwide effort to channel anger at the #AI infrastructure expansion that has ramped up over the past year and roiled local politics.
"The protests were coordinated by #HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the modern-day #TeaParty. She compares growing opposition to data centers to the right-wing populist movement that emerged in 2009 to protest what it saw as excessive taxation and government overreach.
"Protesters rallied against what HumansFirst calls the 'unaccountable' buildout of #datacenters and 'unacceptable infringement on our liberty.'
"In #FredericksburgVA, one young man carried a sign reading, 'We thrive on water not data.' In #AtlantaGA, a small knot of protesters wielded signs reading, '#Georgia never voted for #hyperscale #AIDatacenters. ' "
Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/data-center-opponents-stage-142-protests-across-42-us-states/ar-AA28cU6m#ResistBigData #BigTech #BigData #USPol #DatacentersSuck
#NoisePollution #LightPollution
#ElectricityConsumption #Secrecy #AISucks -
#Mississippi homeowners blame a noisy #DataCenter plant for sleepless nights. The mayor's advice? "Consider selling."
By Lauren Fichten, July 16, 2026
"It was 4 a.m. on a Sunday and 46-year-old Jason Haley was once again wide awake.
"The suburban silence that Haley had grown used to in his two decades as a resident of #SouthavenMS, had, for the last few months, been replaced by a constant whirring, like an airplane hovering over his home, he said.
"The noise keeping Haley awake was coming from a plant powering #ElonMusk's #xAI #datacenters in the area, according to a lawsuit filed in June against the company and its subsidiary, #MZXTech. Haley and two other #Southaven residents, who live within a mile of the plant, allege in the suit that 'near-constant' noise and vibrations are causing negative physical and psychological health effects.
"The filing comes amid growing #resistance toward data center development, with the majority of Americans opposing local construction of a data center, according to a Gallup poll published earlier this year.
"Similar disputes are playing out across the country, like in #MountPleasantWI, where a lawsuit this month filed by residents alleges a data center emits 'unreasonable and excessive noise' onto residents' properties and in #LowellMA [a city with a large #Latino population -- #EnvironmentalRacism], where noise from a data center's cooling center 'disrupts neighbors' sleep,' according to an April suit.
"There are more than 4,000 data centers in the U.S., according to a recent United Nations report. To power the data centers, developers are building their own plants, sometimes with little warning to residents like Haley.
"Haley reached out to Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite about the noise in emails he shared with CBS News. In one last November, he urged Musselwhite to drive through the neighborhood 'and take a listen to the constant #HighPitch noises.' "
" 'I am aware of the noise and working on a solution with xAI officials,' Musselwhite had responded to Haley an hour later. 'It is a problem,' he said in another email later in the day.
"But soon, another sleepless night rolled around and Haley was emailing the mayor again.
""Anyone else I can reach out to?" Haley wrote to Musselwhite. "It's almost 4 am and I can hear it from my bed. The high pitch and roaring combined is full force at this time. My ears are ringing. I can't live in this. How was this ever approved?"
[In a later email, this was Musselwhite's response] "I know they want houses for employees, so you may want to consider selling your home." 😡
Read more:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mississippi-elon-musk-xai-data-center-power-plant-noise/#ElonSucks #BigDataSucks #NoisePollution #BigData
#CorporateColonialism #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #USPol
#AISucks #DatacenterMoratorium
#AIDatacenters #EnvironmentalRacism
#PreyingOnThePoor #EnergyVampires #ResistAI -
#MarkCarney is attempting to force #Canadians into a “let the motherfucker burn” moment in regards to #climatechange and our country’s response.
Turncoat #Liberals and their supporting #Corporations are tripling down on #climatedestruction with new #pipelines, #aidatacenters, and #LNG, despite the majority of Canadians opposing abandoning our climate goals.
After all our work fighting Climate Change, Corporate propaganda now tells us “It’s inevitable, get used to it”.
What’s made clear is that the #economy means more to corporate owned politicians than our communities or our votes.
Ultimately, #Corporatism will rule over the people’s interest, no matter how much our communities will pay.
These #neocon #CarneyLiberals gave strategic voters in #cdnpoli exactly what we voted against, a conservative agenda.
This is political fraud, yet few seem to notice due to Carney’s #ShockDoctrine threat of a racist, fascist old fart who will be dead in a year or two.
Carney’s #Liberals are #traitors to our country and this #earth, every single one of them. Vote them all out.
#canpoli #sellouts #liars #profiteers #electionreform #ndp #avilewiis
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💾 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐎𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬?
As in New Yorker I have mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand we need to maintain enough power generation in-state to support current residents and businesses. We already import energy from Quebec that is sent via power lines to New York City. Also, electricity in New York state is not inexpensive compared to other states in the country.
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MuskCorp Tries To Bribe Memphis With Cheaper Starlink So They’ll Ignore xAI Data Center Pollution
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#Wyoming - #Meta #Datacenter water discharges suspended after #contaminating the city's reclamation water supply with [ #AntibioticResistant ] #bacterium — system offline for months for cleaning, closed-loop cooling system purge spread rare metal-resistant bacteria in #Cheyenne’s water system
The city has revoked the Meta contractor's discharge privileges.
By Luke James
July 4, 2026"The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has stopped accepting industrial wastewater from data center fill-and-flush and closed-loop cooling operations after tracing a rare bacterium in the city's reclaimed water to #GoatSystemsLLC, the entity Meta uses to build its Cheyenne campus. In a notice reported by Cowboy State Daily, the Board said Goat Systems was in significant noncompliance for discharging water carrying #CupriavidusGilardii, a metal-resistant bacterium that interfered with two water reclamation plants and pushed the reuse system offline for months of cleanup. The Board revoked the contractor's fill-and-flush discharge privileges on March 24, and a wider suspension now covers every data center connected to city services.
"#FillAndFlush is a commissioning step in which crews fill a cooling loop's piping with water, flush it to clear debris before the system is run, and then send the used water to drain. Goat Systems routed that flush water, which contained Cupriavidus gilardii, into Cheyenne's sanitary sewer, Frank Strong, the Board's engineering and water resource division manager, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Strong said the fill water had been purchased from the Board itself and that the origin of the bacterium remains unknown, but said that lab staff caught it in February during routine fecal-bacteria sampling. 'This isn't something we normally test for,' Strong told the paper.
"#Microsoft and #Nvidia market #SealedLiquidLoops as a near-#ZeroWater alternative to evaporative cooling, an approach that is spreading quickly as #AIDataCenters expand into more communities. Microsoft describes cooling systems that are filled once during construction and then recirculate the same water, while Nvidia's Rubin platform runs a coolant that is 75% water and 25% propylene glycol. That one-time fill, however, is the step that produces a discharge, and the flush water leaves the site before the loop is sealed.
"Strong went on to add that the Board's concern extends past the finding of the bacterium, because closed-loop systems can carry #glycol and other #chemicals that municipal treatment plants aren't built to process. #CheyenneWY sprays its reclaimed water on #parks, golf courses, and other #GreenSpaces, and the Board worried the bacterium could become an aerosol hazard during irrigation. Cupriavidus gilardii isn't a regulated contaminant, yet the discharge disrupted treatment sufficiently to trigger pass-through and interference findings under the Cheyenne City Code and federal pretreatment rules.
"Meta said that it's supporting its general contractor, #Fortis, which stopped discharging and began hauling wastewater offsite, and that independent testing found no trace of the substance. Testing at the #DryCreek and #CrowCreek facilities cleared in late June, and the reuse system is back online. Cheyenne City Councilman Pete Laybourn called the disclosure 'a very, very unpleasant surprise.' The Board hasn't said how the suspension affects other Cheyenne data centers still under construction."
#DataCenters #WaterIsLife #NoWaterForAI #BigDataLies #NoWaterForDatacenters
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#AIDataCenters claim another victim: Apple hikes prices across Mac, iPad, and more https://zorz.it/sXpPh
#JeremyGray #AI #Apple #economy #industry #inflation #iMac #Mac #iPad #iPadPro #MacBook #MacBookNeo #MacBookPro #MacStudio #MemoryShortage #PriceHike #PriceIncrease