Michigan residents voted down a $16 billion Stargate AI data center, then construction began anyway

[Lukili]

AI data center project secretly sucked 29 million gallons of water over 15 months before detected by residents complaining about low water pressure — officials refuse to fine builders of massive 6.2 million-square-foot facility over unauthorized water use

 

[bclaymiles]

AI data center project secretly sucked 29 million gallons of water over 15 months before detected by residents complaining about low water pressure — officials refuse to fine builders of massive 6.2 million-square-foot facility over unauthorized water use

Techspot editor posts comment that appears to be an excerpt from a news article but for all practical purposes it could be 100% fiction, since [[citation needed]].

 

[Lukili]

Techspot editor posts comment that appears to be an excerpt from a news article but for all practical purposes it could be 100% fiction, since [[citation needed]].

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/g...over-30m-gallons-of-missing-water/ar-AA22Mfdf

 

[Endymio]

Maryland citizens slapped with $2 billion power grid upgrade bill for out-of-state AI data centers ...
Aren't AI hyperscalers supposed to pay for these upgrades?

Sell that nonsense elsewhere. This is part of a long-overdue grid upgrade, and it's necessary primarily not because of "AI datacenters", but because of "green" energy, which due to its non-demand nature must generally be transported much further from place of generation to consumption. Environmentalists have been saying we need these grid upgrades for a couple decades .... now they're wanting to point the finger elsewhere.

 

[wiyosaya]

In this particular case, Big Tech ensured lots of well paying new jobs, along with millions of dollars. Without the datacenter, there would have been zero new jobs and zero dollars.
Isn't the worst possible "dystopian future" exactly the situation with zero jobs and zero dollars?

If, in this case, Big Tech ensured lots of jobs, then why does the article say that the facility got a $77 million tax break despite creating only 1 permanent job?

 

[wiyosaya]

Sell that nonsense elsewhere. This is part of a long-overdue grid upgrade, and it's necessary primarily not because of "AI datacenters", but because of "green" energy, which due to its non-demand nature must generally be transported much further from place of generation to consumption. Environmentalists have been saying we need these grid upgrades for a couple decades .... now they're wanting to point the finger elsewhere.

Bullcrap.
45 promised, as part of his campaign, to improve the infrastructure including the power grid. No improvements were made during that term as well as none are being made now. Instead, its America Last as the current admin is spending Billions on yet another unwinnable war.

Sorry, you can't totally blame this on Green energy when two administrations promised improvements, then completely failed to deliver anything.

 

[Endymio]

Bullcrap.
45 promised, as part of his campaign, to improve the infrastructure including the power grid. No improvements were made during that term

You're confused. No money was allotted by Congress during Trump's first term for this purpose. However, we did allot $1.1T ($1,100 billion) during Obama's term for this, as well as another $1.7 trillion during Biden's term. Money which went nowhere, I might add ... except into pockets.

Trump's promises came this term ... and he's just allocated $1.9B (through existing DOE funding) for grid modernization. It'll take an act of Congress to do more.

If, in this case, Big Tech ensured lots of jobs, then why does the article say that the facility got a $77 million tax break despite creating only 1 permanent job?

Why must you continually spread disinformation? This datacenter did not "promise a lot of jobs". What they promised was to pay tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for very little cost to the county -- a promise on which they delivered.

 

[Mark Fuller]

"Residents did get some perks from the deal"

If the people in charge of giving the perks are the same type of humans I have come to mistrust with great skepticism, I think that'll be the day when the people recieve their perks. In the first place 14 million dollars is chicken feed to so much farmland and fire departments and who can put a price on so much water. They say one thing and do another. Sounds like somebody got paid off so the perks money has already been spent more than likely, if there really was any in the first place.

 

[Mark Fuller]

You're confused. No money was allotted by Congress during Trump's first term for this purpose. However, we did allot $1.1T ($1,100 billion) during Obama's term for this, as well as another $1.7 trillion during Biden's term. Money which went nowhere, I might add ... except into pockets.

Trump's promises came this term ... and he's just allocated $1.9B (through existing DOE funding) for grid modernization. It'll take an act of Congress to do more.


Why must you continually spread disinformation? This datacenter did not "promise a lot of jobs". What they promised was to pay tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for very little cost to the county -- a promise on which they delivered.

Once again, tens of millions of dollars every year is chicken feed to even a small local economy. And then where does that money always end up after the local misappriations committes meet behind closed doors. Pardon me for being so skeptical, I hope you are not offended. I remember watching on TV about the fact that the United Nations is allowed to operate in New York because it brought in back then 10 million dollars a year for the local economy. What is this chicken feed as opposed to the stategic interests of our entire Nation.

 

[Mark Fuller]

Were people kicked off their land? Was eminent domain employed in the matter or did land owners happily make millions when they agreed to sell?

The slippery slope is making broad assumptions based on inadequate information.

I the slippery slope is making broad assumptions, what says the land owners made millions when "they agreed to sell?" There is a famous rock star all of the time talking about what happened to the family farm.

 

[bclaymiles]

I the slippery slope is making broad assumptions, what says the land owners made millions when "they agreed to sell?" There is a famous rock star all of the time talking about what happened to the family farm.

Are you unfamiliar with the question mark symbol?