The elephant in the room for datacenters' computing hardware such as the Nvidia Blackwell GPU's and their associated circuitry is their massive power consumption. A single rack of these devices (about the size of a refrigerator) consumes about 160KW. So much power in such a small space requires a large amount of cooling, so each rack is accompanied by another rack which is simply the liquid cooling pumps and a third rack which is the 800V power supply. Now imagine a datacenter full of these things and it's easy to see how one of these "AI factories" can consume more power than a medium sized city. The creaking old USA electricity grid simply can't support this massive increase in demand. Building the datacenter is one thing. Building the necessary adjacent power plant, particularly a nuclear power plant, is a different matter.
Since I have been watching the uproar about data centers, the third proposal that the Federal lands could be sold for use. I think that it should be at bargain prices as federal lands, as I understand it are not very close to urban centers which need to be available for people working at them can live and find sustennance. Also access to abundant electricity may be wanting. However, wasn't it a rule that the centers need to provide thier own power, (i.e, nuclear would be best) They should also be able to reverse purchase agreements on land they have or will be kicked off of. And absolutely yes, the citizenry needs to be educated. From what I have read, data centers should be less drain on the water supply than farming and is'nt it mainly farmland on which the centers have been proposed, As for Power, if they provide their own power and assist with upgrading of the power grid that would be a benefit. So educate the public.
The United States needs to build data centers that are "hardened." Above ground data centers will become prime targets in a future nuclear exchange. We need AI data sustainability for all eventualities. It should become a major part of Civil Defense.
The elephant in the room for datacenters' computing hardware such as the Nvidia Blackwell GPU's and their associated circuitry is their massive power consumption. A single rack of these devices (about the size of a refrigerator) consumes about 160KW. So much power in such a small space requires a large amount of cooling, so each rack is accompanied by another rack which is simply the liquid cooling pumps and a third rack which is the 800V power supply. Now imagine a datacenter full of these things and it's easy to see how one of these "AI factories" can consume more power than a medium sized city. The creaking old USA electricity grid simply can't support this massive increase in demand. Building the datacenter is one thing. Building the necessary adjacent power plant, particularly a nuclear power plant, is a different matter.
Since I have been watching the uproar about data centers, the third proposal that the Federal lands could be sold for use. I think that it should be at bargain prices as federal lands, as I understand it are not very close to urban centers which need to be available for people working at them can live and find sustennance. Also access to abundant electricity may be wanting. However, wasn't it a rule that the centers need to provide thier own power, (i.e, nuclear would be best) They should also be able to reverse purchase agreements on land they have or will be kicked off of. And absolutely yes, the citizenry needs to be educated. From what I have read, data centers should be less drain on the water supply than farming and is'nt it mainly farmland on which the centers have been proposed, As for Power, if they provide their own power and assist with upgrading of the power grid that would be a benefit. So educate the public.
The United States needs to build data centers that are "hardened." Above ground data centers will become prime targets in a future nuclear exchange. We need AI data sustainability for all eventualities. It should become a major part of Civil Defense.
You are absolutely correct about that. Not only the advantage of protection from bombing,
but cooling at debth would be less costly and efficient. I guess we can take a lesson from Iran.