Powered 100% by natural gas, which, as a reminder, releases carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
> On Wednesday, Morris said that “one hundred percent of the power will be generated off the Ruby Pipeline,” while explaining the project to the county commissioners
How can burning that much natural gas to power it be worth the downstream health problems? The emissions from this sole power source at this scale is irresponsible. The idea is worse when you consider:
- Salt Lake City air already contains enough pollutants from the nearby oil refineries, mining, and cars
- Utah is building out a massive inland port nearby
- The Great Salt Lake is drying up, and expected to put toxic dust in the air, unless massive restoration efforts are undertaken
- Due to its shape, the Salt Lake Valley is a pit for poisonous air, exacerbated by "the inversion" weather patterns
Burning enough natural gas to outclass the entire state's power production is absolutely insane. They should be required, at a minimum, to utilize some amount of green energy for this monstrosity.
Even if you don’t care about the environmental angle, a single data center exceeding a state’s entire electricity draw is a notable story on several levels.
The critical difference is that this will be 100% powered by natural gas, not a dam and hydraulics system. Natural gas releases CO2 and nitrogen oxides which will exacerbate the Salt Lake valley's smog problems.
Powered 100% by natural gas, which, as a reminder, releases carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
> On Wednesday, Morris said that “one hundred percent of the power will be generated off the Ruby Pipeline,” while explaining the project to the county commissioners
How can burning that much natural gas to power it be worth the downstream health problems? The emissions from this sole power source at this scale is irresponsible. The idea is worse when you consider:
- Salt Lake City air already contains enough pollutants from the nearby oil refineries, mining, and cars
- Utah is building out a massive inland port nearby
- The Great Salt Lake is drying up, and expected to put toxic dust in the air, unless massive restoration efforts are undertaken
- Due to its shape, the Salt Lake Valley is a pit for poisonous air, exacerbated by "the inversion" weather patterns
Burning enough natural gas to outclass the entire state's power production is absolutely insane. They should be required, at a minimum, to utilize some amount of green energy for this monstrosity.
And?
I why do we keep posting headlines like this. It’s not if the data center is going to take the power away from other people.
The metric of “more than X” in this case seems useless and sensational.
Even if you don’t care about the environmental angle, a single data center exceeding a state’s entire electricity draw is a notable story on several levels.
Here in Argentina we have a huge aluminum mill, they essentially have their own huge dam+hydraulic power plant. So I agree.
The critical difference is that this will be 100% powered by natural gas, not a dam and hydraulics system. Natural gas releases CO2 and nitrogen oxides which will exacerbate the Salt Lake valley's smog problems.