Elizabeth Warren wants to tax AI data centers as power bills climb

[jbakerjonathan]

Why can’t AI centers use refrigeration in lieu of water for cooling? Also, why can’t AI centers be required to supply their own electricity? One such source might be mini-nuclear molten salt generating plants that they would be required to build. No public monies through tax abatements should be permitted.

 

[Endymio]

Why can’t AI centers use refrigeration in lieu of water for cooling?

Many do. But evaporative cooling is far more efficient. Do you really want a law demanding datacenters use more power?

The water-usage issue is a chimeric myth, promoted largely by CCP-funded anti-AI groups. The last thing the earth is short on is water, with more than 300 million gallons of unused fresh water flowing into the earth's oceans each second.

Also, why can’t AI centers be required to supply their own electricity?

Why not demand each new home built in your city supply its own electricity? By far the most efficient means of generating power is to do so centrally, then distribute it to paying customers. And -- for reasons I've detailed thoroughly in past posts -- in the medium and long term, datacenters make electricity cheaper, not more expensive.