Submission statement: Pretty grim look at how this whole “Silicon Heartland” pitch is playing out in reality.
In short, rural counties are getting ripped off. They’re trading their water tables and grid stability for the promise of “tech jobs” that (surprise!) are really a handful of security guard positions. Shows what happens when desperate municipalities try to negotiate with hyperscalers without any leverage.
fantasmadecallao on
It’s amazing to me out of all the anti-ai arguments how much mileage the water one gets. A massive state of the art AI data center like Google council bluffs has the same annualized water demand as several hundred acres of irrigated cropland.
ProudScroll on
I’d feel for sympathy for small-town Americans getting taken for a ride like a municipal bicycle if most of them weren’t enthusiastic supporters of the “we’re gonna take you for a ride” party.
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Submission statement: Pretty grim look at how this whole “Silicon Heartland” pitch is playing out in reality.
In short, rural counties are getting ripped off. They’re trading their water tables and grid stability for the promise of “tech jobs” that (surprise!) are really a handful of security guard positions. Shows what happens when desperate municipalities try to negotiate with hyperscalers without any leverage.
It’s amazing to me out of all the anti-ai arguments how much mileage the water one gets. A massive state of the art AI data center like Google council bluffs has the same annualized water demand as several hundred acres of irrigated cropland.
I’d feel for sympathy for small-town Americans getting taken for a ride like a municipal bicycle if most of them weren’t enthusiastic supporters of the “we’re gonna take you for a ride” party.
But since they are, fuck ’em.