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Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

theregister.com

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Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#121

Post by retrac »

apercu wrote: post #48
j45 wrote: post #40

Canada seems better positioned for datacenters since they can power them locally with a multitude of options and not impact the local grid.

I lived in Ontario for 18 years and found power to be quite expensive compared to the midwestern US state I lived in before and after. I believe this is due to the concentrated population centers needing to subsidize the transmission to the least populated areas, and would guess this would have an impact on energy costs for data centers in Canada. But again, my experience is (mostly) limited to SW Ontario, where ever…

Quebec has a larger grid and lower rates due to its abundant hydroelectricity.

Ontario's relatively high costs are from the supply mix which is about 50% nuclear, 30% hydro, 10% wind, 10% gas.

Residential kWh as delivered is currently (no pun intended) about 12 US cents which is a bit high if you're used to Midwestern or Alberta coal but those in California are probably envious.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#122

Post by dmix »

apercu wrote: post #48
j45 wrote: post #40

Canada seems better positioned for datacenters since they can power them locally with a multitude of options and not impact the local grid.

I lived in Ontario for 18 years and found power to be quite expensive compared to the midwestern US state I lived in before and after. I believe this is due to the concentrated population centers needing to subsidize the transmission to the least populated areas, and would guess this would have an impact on energy costs for data centers in Canada. But again, my experience is (mostly) limited to SW Ontario, where ever…

Energy prices are cheaper in Canada as a whole than the US which is cheaper than Europe. While China it's still significantly cheaper that those since they invested in every sort of energy instead of fighting it.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#123

Post by coldtea »

hunterpayne wrote: post #80
kevinpet wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Editorials are a thing. This is not an editorial. It's structured as a news report.

Credibility is a thing. Articles like this burn it quite quickly. It really is past time that the scientific community needs to make a public statement rejecting these types of "journalists".

The scientific community has burned a lot of credibility itself to make any kind of statement to that effect.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#124

Post by zdragnar »

kevinpet wrote: post #75
coldtea wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's the word for this type of propaganda, where they add in some sort of adjective that wasn't needed, in order to prime the reader on how to think/feel, rather than just objectively reporting the facts? It's called an editorial. It's not supposed to be a mere report, concerned with respecting any random person's feeling about how all electricity consumption is equally valid and should be equally respected.

Editorials are a thing. This is not an editorial. It's structured as a news report.

This is The Register we're talking about. Of course it is heavily editorialized, that's half their schtick.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#125

Post by anigbrowl »

cbmuser wrote: post #68

Ireland consumes roughly 40 TWh per year, that’s less than the production of four EPR reactors or two times Hinkley Point C. The country could easily solve its electricity problems with nuclear power. They can ask South Korea for help who built four reactors in UAE with 12 years which now provide 25% of the country’s electricity.

Nuclear power is a non-starter in IReland because the Sellafield nuclear plant in the UK emitted pollution of various for years but UK officials covered it up. The actual severity of the pollution is open to debate but the loss of trusthad a generational impact.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield#Incidents

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#126

Post by anigbrowl »

thegrim33 wrote: post #2

They chose to add the word "guzzle". They could have just written "Irish datacenters now use 23% of the country's electricity". But they made the editorial decision to add in "guzzle". What's the word for this type of propaganda, where they add in some sort of adjective that wasn't needed, in order to prime the reader on how to think/feel, rather than just objectively reporting the facts? What are the odds that the c…

The Register is famous for its jaundiced takes, which are a mix of journalistic cynicism and parody of the febrile language of the UK tabloid press. You are not meant to take it at face value.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#127

Post by s1artibartfast »

slowin wrote: post #107
s1artibartfast wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, no you arent. Money given without strings attached is just that. Claiming ownership of another humans labor is called slavery. It might be evidence that you or your government isn't benefiting you with its spending. That doesnt put obligation on the recipient.

My taxes aren't "money given without strings attached". They are payment for services that benefit myself and others in the community. They're not a free gift for the government to hand out, that's theft.

Sure, I agree with that. I just think that is a problem to take up with your government. It doesnt mean a doctor or engineer owes you.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#128

Post by tims33 »

hinkley wrote: post #105
paleotrope wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California is not a great place to build data centers. If you need to service CA, there are better options

Oh yeah, power distribution is kind of a circus there isn't it.

Power, land, water, people - all expensive in CA.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#129

Post by mh- »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #112
delichon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

18 cents here in New Mexico. You must be getting premium government services for paying all of that in California.

California utility prices are a function of income. https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-ene...

Only the fixed portion is. So about $20 of my $400-800 monthly electric bill is income-based.

Re: Irish datacenters now guzzle 23% of the country's electricity

#130

Post by s1artibartfast »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #112
delichon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

18 cents here in New Mexico. You must be getting premium government services for paying all of that in California.

California utility prices are a function of income. https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-ene...

Not really. There is a standard rate and then the companies are required by the state to offer an opt in low income tier.

There was a push a year or two back to make it fully income based, where you would have to give the power company your w2 to determine your rate, but it was rejected (for now)

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