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Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

reuters.com

1–10 of 131 posts

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#3
post #2

This sounds like a good reason to have a lot of batteries.

A lot would probably be an understatement. Aren't most batteries in data centers designed to just hold load for seconds or a few minutes at a time while generators start up?

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#4
post #2

This sounds like a good reason to have a lot of batteries.

I'd rather see legislation banning crypto mining and AI data centers from the public grid entirely. No sense in forcing the broader public to subsidize them.

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#5
post #2

This sounds like a good reason to have a lot of batteries.

A lot would probably be an understatement. Aren't most batteries in data centers designed to just hold load for seconds or a few minutes at a time while generators start up?

Yeah, different batteries, different purposes.

Keeping the data center up is completely different from keeping the grid up.

Not only are the batteries too small; they're also on the wrong side of the disconnect.

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#7
post #2

This sounds like a good reason to have a lot of batteries.

I'd rather see legislation banning crypto mining and AI data centers from the public grid entirely. No sense in forcing the broader public to subsidize them.

The problem with that is one of the best things we have to control pollution at power plants is the rules that go into place when connecting to the US grid (I know TX is different).

I really don’t want to incentivize private power plants that aren’t on grid. Or just running tons of industrial sized generators instead.

If we’re going to allow enough of this stuff to be built that it can destabilize things why not require they behave and don’t stop off like that? Some sort of organized draw down?

And if they don’t? Mandatory cutoff for X amount of time. Weeks/months.

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#9
post #2

This sounds like a good reason to have a lot of batteries.

I'd rather see legislation banning crypto mining and AI data centers from the public grid entirely. No sense in forcing the broader public to subsidize them.

If they weren't on the public grid, they would just slap in a bunch of gas turbines and run one of the noisier, more polluting sources of electricity. I think it would be better if we required them to replace the power they used, but do so on the grid so that it benefits everyone.

Re: Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

#10
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather see legislation banning crypto mining and AI data centers from the public grid entirely. No sense in forcing the broader public to subsidize them.

The problem with that is one of the best things we have to control pollution at power plants is the rules that go into place when connecting to the US grid (I know TX is different). I really don’t want to incentivize private power plants that aren’t on grid. Or just running tons of industrial sized generators instead. If we’re going to allow enough of this stuff to be built that it can destabilize things why not requ…

Ban private fossil generators above a certain size without a license. You can just do things. They can build as much solar and batteries as they want.

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/google-confirms-1...

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/google-announces-...

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