Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amid-explosive-demand-america-is-running-out-of-power/ar-BB1jtM69

19 26 2 years ago

In Texas, a dramatic increase in data centers for crypto mining is touching off a debate over whether they are a costly drain on an overtaxed grid. An analysis by the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie found that the energy needed by crypto operations aiming to link to the grid would equal a quarter of the electricity used in the state at peak demand. Unlike data centers operated by big tech companies such as Google and Meta, crypto miners generally don’t build renewable-energy projects with the aim of supplying enough zero-emissions energy to the grid to cover their operations.
The result, said Ben Hertz-Shargel, who authored the Wood Mackenzie analysis, is that crypto’s drain on the grid threatens to inhibit the ability of Texas to power other energy-hungry operations that could drive innovation and economic growth,

stormfather• 2 years ago

But what would we do without crypto mining?

berner• 2 years ago

Strange that adjusting taxes toward energy/resources and away from labor hasn't happened naturally given that labor can vote.

gorkish4• 2 years ago

Looking at Tuesday's ballots, the modus operandi of voting in Texas appears to mostly consist of people toeing the line on some of the most absurd and leading questions I have ever read in my life [1]

1. https://texasgop.org/republican-primary-ballot-propositions/

Arainach• 2 years ago

Labor is legally entitled to vote but practically prevented from doing so - time off from work is hard to come by in America and states like Texas make it a point to have as few polling places as possible with as few hours as possible in the locations that "labor" lives and works.

Also, labor "votes" for representatives, but money votes for bills.

everforward• 2 years ago

Energy/resources can't vote, but they can fund campaigns easier than labor. There's also some complications around taxing energy/resources since some businesses operate on thin margins. Not that taxing labor is simple, but taxing energy isn't as simple as tacking on a tax per kWh.

Eg smelting aluminum is extremely energy intensive and important (gotta recycle those cans), but I bet their margins are awful and further I would bet that "energy/resources" comprises the majority of their expenditure (that basically only leaves wages as untaxed).

It's certainly not impossible, it's how we did taxes up til the New Deal, but we would need to be very careful not to crash essential, energy-intensive industries like metal smelting.

iamgopal3• 2 years ago

By law it should be compulsory to install enough renewable power to one’s requirement and grid should only be used as load balancing body.

Arnt3• 2 years ago

That would sucks for my downstairs neighbours, then. And for the company across the backyard, which makes radios and stuff, centrally located in the city. The school in the next street it would have a problem, too.

Summing up: You want more suburbia and less city center.

skyyler3• 2 years ago

The power generation wouldn't necessarily need to happen on-premises, would it?

gorkish4• 2 years ago

With this fantastic suggestion, I am proud to bestow you the honorary title of Certified Armchair Expert. To accept, you need only to recite the creed of the order: "It's all so simple!"

iamgopal3• 2 years ago

Think hard and write better solution.

somedude895• 2 years ago

Also, everybody should be required to grow their own food. Food insecurity solved!

iamgopal3• 2 years ago

Or invest in food producing company, better explicit than implicit

mock-possum• 2 years ago

Heavily subsidized according to property value / income level? I’d love to pay some more taxes to proliferate solar, hydro, wind, and tidal power.

Georgelemental• 2 years ago

Discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39629271

theflyingelvis• 2 years ago

Oops, my bad

Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power

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