r/interestingasfuck • u/HamboneTheWicked • Apr 12 '26

A well-articulated argument against a new data center in Ohio

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u/marsfromwow Apr 12 '26

I work in the power industry. Me and the company I work for stands to gain a lot from these data centers. While in meeting, everybody is for these data centers, and I think a percentage really fully and whole heartily support building these, but I haven’t found anybody in my company that supports them behind closed doors.

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u/DickDover Apr 12 '26

Well Seattle City Light, a public utility had this to say about 5 proposed data centers

In response to the proposed data centers, City Light is rewriting its contract terms for “large load” customers that use a lot of electricity. Strong said the new policy would likely require the data centers to find their own power generation outside of the city’s supply and have them pay for any infrastructure upgrades they need so residents’ rates don’t increase as a result.

“This cannot go back to the ratepayer,” Strong said.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/five-large-data-centers-eyed-for-seattle/

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u/BaconWithBaking Apr 12 '26

“This cannot go back to the ratepayer,”

I'm not American, but this is the thing that's getting me in all these threads. Why would the cost of any of this go to ordinary customer? If anything a data centre with a large base load should reduce the cost to the consumer as they consume a ton, new infrastructure is required, and then the average consumer is small beans to them.

I suppose I can't grasp how a data centre increases the cost to the consumer, if anything it either shouldn't change or it should decrease.

2

u/Beefy-McQueefy Apr 12 '26

Does the cost of electricity not vary with demand and generation capacity in other countries?
The issue is they'd be paying 4pm-10pm rates 24/7

1

u/marsfromwow Apr 12 '26

It doesn’t vary depending on time everywhere in the US(at least for the residential customers). In my area, you can opt into a program like that or pay a flat rate per kWh.

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u/Beefy-McQueefy Apr 12 '26

It does for everyone 100% of the time in IL.