U.S. electricity price increases by state from 2020

[PWMDMD]

I live in a town with a municipal electric company, basically a non-profit managed by the town. In a state where rates are really high, my electricity is about half of the surrounding towns.

 

[Finklejag]

Can’t the water be reused? I’ve seen pictures of these new Ai clusters where there are large storage tanks on site.

Fill up storage tank > circulate through cluster > cooling tower > recirculate?

Maybe the water rights are a just in case? I must be missing something, I can’t image they would just waste the water after cooling.

https://businessjournalism.org/2023/11/oregonian-data-centers/

 

[alarmguy]

With the finishing of the Site C Dam, BC in Canada has pretty much exhausted their inventory of valleys to flood. Now they just put out contracts for 20 windmill farms, mostly in remote areas of NE BC, far far away from the concentrated population. Pricing is pretty good, basically the equivalent of 7 cents per kWhr USD equivalent, then 10 cents USD equivalent. The billing is based on 2 months. Once the first tier of 7 cent power is used up it jumps to the 2nd tier until the end of two months. Then it resets back to 7 cents. If you have a large house you will blow through the 7 cent power in about a month during the winter. One enviable position is they can mess around with the flow rates through the dams to adjust around the availability of wind. Nothing like a bit of Dunkelflaute.

I would be interested, and hopefully both of us are still around when those projects are completed as to the true cost that the consumer will pay for the electricity.
You also have maintenance which every 10 years windmills need major maintenance on the gearbox boxes and associated equipment.
The massive blades they hope for a lifespan of about 20/25 years, but it’s tested on some of these new blades if they will make it that long.

In addition to those above costs, you then need back up electricity generating capacity for when the wind isn’t blowing and my understand enough non wind or solar energy to keep the electric grid stable

I really don’t know much about it, but this is just stuff that I read

 

[Burt]

The map doesn’t tell you a lot. One that showed actual average prices would be better maybe some with large increases started from lower values and vice versa. Natural gas prices have a big impact on electricity prices too.

 

[Rmay635703]

Most of them, as far as I know, work through evaporated cooling. The towers on site is probably for emergency use.

That is why data centers should only be legal by large saltwater bodies and any freshwater use should be illegal.

Swamp and evaporative have been illegal in most of the country for decades outside grandfathered situations. Should make it a national ban.

Most of them, as far as I know, work through evaporated cooling. The towers on site is probably for emergency use.

Extraordinarily stupid, they should be forced to use ground loop heat pumps only or salt water.

Wasting fresh water to literally pee away on something like this is rediculous.

 

[Pew]

That is why data centers should only be legal by large saltwater bodies and any freshwater use should be illegal.

Swamp and evaporative have been illegal in most of the country for decades outside grandfathered situations. Should make it a national ban.



Extraordinarily stupid, they should be forced to use ground loop heat pumps only or salt water.

Wasting fresh water to literally pee away on something like this is rediculous.

I don't think salt water would work very well; I think it's too corrosive?

But I do agree, it's annoying how readily willing our townships want to sell fresh water. Near where i live, Joliet has to pipe into Chicago's water supply because those wells are going dry.

 

[Rmay635703]

I don't think salt water would work very well; I think it's too corrosive?

But I do agree, it's annoying how readily willing our townships want to sell fresh water. Near where i live, Joliet has to pipe into Chicago's water supply because those wells are going dry.

https://news.samsungcnt.com/en/feat...data-center-cooling-is-the-future-underwater/

 

[Pew]

https://news.samsungcnt.com/en/feat...data-center-cooling-is-the-future-underwater/

The most expensive call to replace the power cable for a Cisco switch.

I remember that when it kicked off. The project has been stopped though and they pulled it out. I don't see it going economically well.