'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres • Hacker News Board

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#41

Post by bluGill » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC

MatekCopatek wrote: post #28

lordgilman wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect the authors of this paper would like to hear out your evidence for increasing energy prices https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19777 In the United States at least there's been plenty of polling on why people oppose data centers. Consistently, it's water usage and water contamination fears, which is exactly what you see most often in social media and discussed online. I think a lot of high-minded rationalizations ar…

What exactly are you getting at? Datacenters do use potable water from municipal sources for evaporative cooling. Are you claiming that's not true? Here's a recent source: https://pacinst.org/publication/how-much-water-do-data-cente...

They do use water, and the numbers look very large which makes for big scary headlines. However people who actually know how water is used in a city are used to numbers much larger than that.

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#42

Post by WarmWash » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC

peterldowns wrote: post #18

As a Pennsylvanian I think this is idiotic and I completely blame the press, who have breathlesslly amplified baseless negative claims. Such as that datacenters are somehow bad for the environment, have negative impacts on water supply, will raise energy and water rates for residential customers, etc. I HATE that this is somehow becoming a culture war issue.

The older I get the more and more convinced I become that the media is the actual real enemy of the country. Their lifeblood is creating controversy and drama about everything so they can show ads. So insane that so few call them out (probably because most people are already "captured" by them).

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#43

Post by nixosbestos » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC

martythemaniak wrote: post #15

The intense anti-DC sentiment shouldn't be surprising - NIMBYism is the only viable mechanism available to people in the US. It doesn't matter if you're worried about Glonzo or have real concerns, they must be expressed in NIMBY terms in order to be heard. For example, imagine you're worried about what goes on inside those DCs, are worried about the lack of accountability from Big Tech and would like to see sensible…

I think this is why I'm sort of excited about this, even if some of it's "misguided" according to some.

I haven't seen people really care and mobilize since maybe BLM?

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#44

Post by sarjann » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC

kerhackernews wrote: post #2

Really the main issue causing the data center backlash is because they aren't building new 100% green energy production capacity with it. When you drop a data center into an area, energy prices will spike. Additionally, without that green energy capacity they will cause much more air pollution.

And if they can't give capacity, they should maybe be required to give a kind of "call option" or hedge locals energy prices linked to regular inflation.

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#45

Post by iamnothere » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC

martythemaniak wrote: post #15

The intense anti-DC sentiment shouldn't be surprising - NIMBYism is the only viable mechanism available to people in the US. It doesn't matter if you're worried about Glonzo or have real concerns, they must be expressed in NIMBY terms in order to be heard. For example, imagine you're worried about what goes on inside those DCs, are worried about the lack of accountability from Big Tech and would like to see sensible…

This is fair and I think it’s what is really happening here.

The only lever the government seems to have is tax breaks, and the only lever the people seem to have is NIMBYism. What a joke.

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#46

Post by luxuryballs » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC

MatekCopatek wrote: post #28

lordgilman wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect the authors of this paper would like to hear out your evidence for increasing energy prices https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19777 In the United States at least there's been plenty of polling on why people oppose data centers. Consistently, it's water usage and water contamination fears, which is exactly what you see most often in social media and discussed online. I think a lot of high-minded rationalizations ar…

What exactly are you getting at? Datacenters do use potable water from municipal sources for evaporative cooling. Are you claiming that's not true? Here's a recent source: https://pacinst.org/publication/how-much-water-do-data-cente...

Why and how would they contaminate the water supply though? Sounds like a municipality problem, a water consumer shouldn't be feeding back into the system, or is it being caused by poorly executed construction practices? Maybe when they first pipe in or something is being left open during construction, this seems like it shouldn't happen if things are being done properly, water supply systems are not a new technology so who is dropping the ball?

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#47

Post by leonidasrup » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:42 PM UTC

triceratops wrote: post #16

nxm wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That includes nuclear power, correct?

Can they build it safely as fast as the data center it's meant to power? Full steam ahead then.

Some older nuclear power plants are been commissioned back into production:

Three Mile Island

"2027 – Nuclear Regulatory Commission to decide whether to issue operating license to Constellation Energy, with the decision expected in May. If granted, Constellation expects to bring the reactor back online later in the year."

https://www.witf.org/2026/07/28/three-mile-island-reactor-re...

Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-first-...

Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nextera-energy-partn...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Arnold_Energy_Center#Res...

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#48

Post by slibhb » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:42 PM UTC

kerhackernews wrote: post #2

Really the main issue causing the data center backlash is because they aren't building new 100% green energy production capacity with it. When you drop a data center into an area, energy prices will spike. Additionally, without that green energy capacity they will cause much more air pollution.

That's not the main issue at all. I'm baffled where you got that idea.

Also, I live in Northern Virginia where we have tons of data centers, and energy prices have not spiked.

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#49

Post by nancyminusone » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:42 PM UTC

WarmWash wrote: post #32

mikestew wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The local government gets property taxes from these data centers. Not if they get a sweetheart tax deal. Why do you think folks are so pissy? It’s like a sports stadium next to your house in that the principals get tax breaks, eminent domain, and other considerations, but it makes noise every day(not just weekends) and you don’t get to go to the game.

The sweetheart deals are usually from the state, sometimes the county. Town budgets tend to be so small that ~$20m/yr will have the council falling over themselves to approve it. The problem, from the cases I have looked at, seems to be that towns want to do dumb shit with this money rather than just cut residents a tax break.

Or the towns are not rich enough to fight in a lawsuit after the town council initially says no, which is how my local datacenter was approved against the will of the people

Re: 'People are going to get screwed' Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres

#50

Post by ipdashc » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:43 PM UTC

redwood wrote: post #13

kerhackernews wrote: post #2

Really the main issue causing the data center backlash is because they aren't building new 100% green energy production capacity with it. When you drop a data center into an area, energy prices will spike. Additionally, without that green energy capacity they will cause much more air pollution.

No a big part is that the buildings are ugly and transform the character of a place that folks grew up in. Maybe focus should be put on beautifying these buildings in some way

People in my area are complaining about data centers being built in rural fields and on former aluminum plant and power plant sites. The debate has become pretty detached from reality. What remains rooted in reality mostly comes down to electric bills / power consumption and the fact that, as everyone is saying, it's the only way for people to push back against big tech billionaires.