alt Hacker News> I think AI is powerful tool, but we still can't give DC expansion a pass.
I really don't think we are. In the wider culture the idea that data centers use an absurd amount of water is baked in at this point.
It frustrates me because I think it distracts from energy usage, which is a much more real issue than water usage.
I'd love to see DCs scaled with renewables, they would throttle down and run slower at night. The abstraction that power is available at whatever rate you want it is an expensive myth at scale.
I defer plugging in my electric car until 10am so I know that my neighbors solar arrays are charging my car.
In Seattle, every watt saved is water saved since we are blessed with hydro.