176
Data centers need electricity, utilities need years to build – who should pay?
(theconversation.com)
this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
176 points (98.4% liked)
Technology
77090 readers
2637 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It's interesting to me that we don't do this for all industries. Like, if a big auto manufacturer or textile company sets up shop, the local power company is compelled to build more power plants for them (sometimes the power company eats the cost, sometimes a deal with the provider, etc. See the article). Monopolies are weird.
Most industries create jobs. Datacenters do not.
Just like Google in Lenior, NC. They played the local government with the idea they would boost the local economy and create jobs. The only job a local can get there is janitorial and there is like 10 of those and they don't pay that much.
Wow, you can't even apply to be smart hands? That's nuts to me.
You'd be supprised to see how many industries probably have some sort of backups in place for power ... But it's typically more costly to run and they may not have plans in place for extended outages. At the end of the day it comes down to money.
What's frustrating about the current situation with the power companies is people just are unaware they are getting bled or don't have options for recourse... Whereas monopolies and large companies are getting (fuck if I know why) white glove treatment and discounts. It makes little sense to be deferential to these massive companies - as while they promise jobs, economic benifits, and the moon itself... Data shows this rarely materializes. Its baffling.