@andrewtown.bsky.social
Sustainability, People & Politics. Ally for the environment. Completing my Masters in Sustainable Development. There can be no Environmental justice without First Nations justice. He/Him on Wangal Land.
Reposted
First: on electrification
A new gigawatt hour of data centre demand is *materially* very different to a new GWh from newly-electrified households.
As @hannahdaly.ie points out: the former either has no benefit, or does harm. The latter almost always is a benefit. Demand growth is not neutral!
A new gigawatt hour of data centre demand is *materially* very different to a new GWh from newly-electrified households.
As @hannahdaly.ie points out: the former either has no benefit, or does harm. The latter almost always is a benefit. Demand growth is not neutral!
Brilliant @hannahdaly.ie post on data centre impacts in Ireland
- Data centre demand growth eating *all* new wind power
- Only 16% (!!) of new wind is thanks to corporate deals
- DCs either 0 impact or worsen emissions. Electrification only reduces emissions
hannahdaly.ie/2024-10-18-d...
- Data centre demand growth eating *all* new wind power
- Only 16% (!!) of new wind is thanks to corporate deals
- DCs either 0 impact or worsen emissions. Electrification only reduces emissions
hannahdaly.ie/2024-10-18-d...
November 7, 2025 at 12:20 PM
First: on electrification
A new gigawatt hour of data centre demand is *materially* very different to a new GWh from newly-electrified households.
As @hannahdaly.ie points out: the former either has no benefit, or does harm. The latter almost always is a benefit. Demand growth is not neutral!
A new gigawatt hour of data centre demand is *materially* very different to a new GWh from newly-electrified households.
As @hannahdaly.ie points out: the former either has no benefit, or does harm. The latter almost always is a benefit. Demand growth is not neutral!
Reposted
In short: new power demand shifts power generation up a stack of bidding generators, which is sorted from cheapest to most expensive.
More power demand -> higher up stack -> more $$
So an AI data centre saving $1m switching off on a hot day might be causing $50m of costs on all the other days
More power demand -> higher up stack -> more $$
So an AI data centre saving $1m switching off on a hot day might be causing $50m of costs on all the other days
November 7, 2025 at 12:48 PM
In short: new power demand shifts power generation up a stack of bidding generators, which is sorted from cheapest to most expensive.
More power demand -> higher up stack -> more $$
So an AI data centre saving $1m switching off on a hot day might be causing $50m of costs on all the other days
More power demand -> higher up stack -> more $$
So an AI data centre saving $1m switching off on a hot day might be causing $50m of costs on all the other days
Reposted
Greg Jericho posted earlier this week that Zohran Mamdani would have been expelled from Albanese’s Labor Party. And he’s right
November 8, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Greg Jericho posted earlier this week that Zohran Mamdani would have been expelled from Albanese’s Labor Party. And he’s right