We're stuffed because of a broken economic system where these companies can get away without paying for the externality costs of damaging our environment.. If only "Conservative" politicians would actually care about conserving our environment!
And of course the costs do not affect everyone equally, especially in the short term - the people living in these areas tend to already be poor - like in Memphis were Musk's xAI seems to have turned on gas power without permits & controls.[0] Conveniently for xAI, Musk has also enthusiastically gutted the EPA.
And the Abundantists want to throw away safety and pollution regulations that "get in the way" of increasing production because they "know better" and "gubberment bad".
“The turbines are only temporary and don’t require federal permits for their emissions of NOx and other hazardous air pollutants like formaldehyde, xAI’s environmental consultant, Shannon Lynn, said during a webinar hosted by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. ”
The grid could lose several generators right now and no one would notice.
You lose one or two private generators and it's gonna start getting tight quickly.
From a risk management perspective, I don't think I'd be interested in a business that needs to operate an entire power grid vertical as a prerequisite to running some computers in an air conditioned building.
We're stuffed because of a broken economic system where these companies can get away without paying for the externality costs of damaging our environment.. If only "Conservative" politicians would actually care about conserving our environment!
And of course the costs do not affect everyone equally, especially in the short term - the people living in these areas tend to already be poor - like in Memphis were Musk's xAI seems to have turned on gas power without permits & controls.[0] Conveniently for xAI, Musk has also enthusiastically gutted the EPA.
[0]: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/06/elon-musk-xai-memph...
We oughta elect a real hippie type like that tree hugger who started the EPA, that'd do the trick
Not sure if sarcasm but why don't we go with a reasonable middle ground ;)
Not quite sarcasm, but irony in spades.
And the Abundantists want to throw away safety and pollution regulations that "get in the way" of increasing production because they "know better" and "gubberment bad".
The "Abundantists" are centrist Democrats who are very decidedly pro government.
“The turbines are only temporary and don’t require federal permits for their emissions of NOx and other hazardous air pollutants like formaldehyde, xAI’s environmental consultant, Shannon Lynn, said during a webinar hosted by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. ”
I guess reliability isn't a factor anymore?
The grid could lose several generators right now and no one would notice.
You lose one or two private generators and it's gonna start getting tight quickly.
From a risk management perspective, I don't think I'd be interested in a business that needs to operate an entire power grid vertical as a prerequisite to running some computers in an air conditioned building.
Hah! An old friend made a small fortune in Kazakhstan running a crypto farm from a de+recommissioned Soviet natural gas powerplant.
I want to meet your friend
They said no.