I don't think a blanket (ban or acceptance) anything is a good approach for this issue.
Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
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Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#22Such a law illustrates the beauty of federalism. Texas and other states can have them if they want them! Maine has not nearly as much space and much more natural beauty to protect [per square mile], so it can and maybe should have a different set of rules. That's cool.
Don't know why people think Texas doesn't have natural beauty. It's a huge state.
yes but they likely won't build datacenters by destroying national parks would they?
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#23For people who support this kind of ban, I'd ask if you would support a similar ban on new factories for, say, car parts. Like data centers, factories use a lot of power -- which drives up electricity bills -- and their construction can have local environmental impacts. Data centers have a reputation for not providing too many local jobs, but modern factories are often highly automated and also don't provide too many…
For people who don't support this kind of ban, I'd ask: What's the alternative? _Requiring_ that states house data centers?
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#24So what's the current data centers footprint in Maine?
Does the move benefit companies with existing DCs whose competition can no longer establish a region there?
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#25I live in Maine. Commercial power is crazy expensive. I don't know why you would build an AI datacenter here in the first place. As an obsessive self-hoster, I've researched building one, and there is no universe in which it makes sense. New Hampshire and Massachusetts are so nearby latency-wise.
Power is not the most expensive part of data center lifetime cost; especially these days when you're filling them with several billion dollars of nvidia chips. It's still an important consideration of course, but not the only one.
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#26I live in Maine. Commercial power is crazy expensive. I don't know why you would build an AI datacenter here in the first place. As an obsessive self-hoster, I've researched building one, and there is no universe in which it makes sense. New Hampshire and Massachusetts are so nearby latency-wise.
As has been repeatedly demonstrated[1], it is the presence of new, large consumers that drives down the cost of bulk power by amortizing the infrastructure investments.
Maine voters are, of course, notorious bozos in this field, having voted in a plebiscite in 2021 to cancel the link to Quebec Hydro, which was already substantially completed.
1: For example LBNL's latest banger: Factors influencing recent trends in retail electricity prices in the United States, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104061902...
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#27Did any major data centers want to locate in Maine, or is this just an empty gesture?
I think legislation like this is much more about making sure that they're never even considered by the big AI companies. OpenAI and Anthropic, when looking to build a new center, will see that there would be headaches trying to get a datacenter built, so they instead just focus on one of the other 49 states.
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#28How long until the AI companies start charging more to people who use AI services, but live in areas that do things like this?
NIMBY causes energy prices to go up in areas that won't allow drilling, refining, nuclear or nat gas development, or power lines. When will the same happen for things like AI services?
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#29The people (through their elected representatives) have a right to do this. It is stupid, in my opinion, but they have every right to do so. If this is what they want, they should have it.
Personally, I see little reason to ban new taxpayers with few-to-none negative externalities from moving into your state, but what do i know?
Re: Maine is about to become the first state to ban major new data centers
#30Was Maine ever at risk of being overrun with data centers? Regardless, if the ban is what Maine voters want then more power to them.
> more power to them
that seems to be the idea!