One of the major complaints about data centers is the electrical power demands. As homeowners in the midst of several proposed data centers, I understand everybody’s concerns. I live within twenty miles of three nuclear plants which provides most of our power and a new five unit gas fired plant. There is a peaking plant nearby which basically has no pollution controls.

  Now we have these massive users of power coming into the area to drive up costs or create shortages with homeowners and small businesses picking up the tab or losing power during hot days. The centers are left with two choices. They either build their own plants or buy it from the grid. An exception is a data center being built next to Quad Cities Nuclear Station. Where the power will come from when the plant is down for maintenance and refueling is obvious – the grid.

            Another option is magic. Bloomberg Energy produces a product where natural gas goes into a box causing it to produce electricity and carbon Dioxide to be sequestered without flame or sound. I don’t understand how it works but many centers are going to use them. Imagine, the only sound is from the humming of the center and the coolers.

            Now we can address the cooling and water usage which can be hundreds of thousands of gallons each day. Another way is to use distilled water is building on a closed circuit to a refrigerator-like cooler. A restaurant uses more local water than that system.

  In the western states with lots of land to work with centers are building solar and wind farms for daytime power and batteries for night or cloudy and windless days.  They will only hit the grid as a last resort.

  Here is my only complaint. Data centers should not be built on prime farmland. On less prime they can do the same service but not impact the growing of food as much. AI may not need grains but we do!