alt Hacker NewsYes, absolutely. What do local residents get out of the data centers?
I remember earlier this year somebody posted the results of a large survey that concluded most people would rather have a nuclear power plant in their backyard than a data center. Of course everybody would rather have nuclear power plant in their backyard because then they get cheap, clean, reliable electricity. They get nothing from the data center except competition for basic utilities.
I also remember how the person couldn't believe the results and found them astonishing. WTF. This just reinforced for me how so many people in technology are either narcissistic, short sighted (exceptionally naive), or have some sort of qualified mental health defect.
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Tax revenue from otherwise undesirable land.
There's a reason lots of data centers are built around airports (already noisy) or in places that can't support other types of development for some reason.
Many local governments have failed in their responsibility to constituents in approving placement of DCs that should or could have better local projects like housing or retail.
What they get out of not having the nuclear power plant is not getting unexplained cancer in 10 or 20 years.
You can tell them as much as you want how safe nuclear power is. You may even be right. But after Fukushima, and Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl, they don't believe you that it will reliably stay safe forever.
i don't believe it. where are all the nuclear power plants then? they are unpopular almost everywhere...
>Yes, absolutely. What do local residents get out of the data centers?
Jobs in places where there usually aren't any. Some of these places are nearly dead or dying towns/communities and they're getting a huge jolt of new economic activity. Once the data centers are built there will be a steady base of new workers/jobs to maintain them.