50MW-plus data centers must bring their own electricity generation to avoid shutoffs
And the fossil fuel death-cultists who usurped the government are champing at the bit to let them have it in the most polluting way possible.
this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2026
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Backup generators are the only reasonable alternative at this scale if the grid goes down. Battery banks last minutes, and are only good to allow for diesel to kick in.
That aerial picture though. Imagine spending your life's savings into a house in a quiet neighbourhood with direct access to a nice nature waterfront walk and this monstrosity gets built almost in your backyard.
I think you've confused suburban McMansions with a nice place to live.
A bit of a guess but I think this is the data centre in the picture: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MGY8u3cfdPEGDyC8?g_st=ac
Here it is in a zoning map with the data centre circled:
IP is zoning for an industrial park and GI is "General Industry: District for industrial uses that are incompatible with residential uses due to the prevalence of outdoor storage and emissions of noise and odor."
Sure, zoning changes but given the distribution and proximity to the airport and quarries it seems unlikely it's all amendments. This very wary engineer is literally begging people to read zoning maps and flood plain maps before buying a house.
Any politician who says they are for a data center moratorium. In other words, no new data centers. For a period of at least 10 years while we do an environmental economical and health study I’m voting for.
For the record, I tend to vote, pure democratic line. But if the Republicans came out in favor of this going against data centers. I’m sorry I’d be voting for them. And any politician who knocks on my door or any of their door knockers that they have out here I tell them that. I don’t want to vote for Republicans, but if they’re willing to shut down this madness about data centers in neighborhoods, Or anywhere near neighborhood. Or having private citizen, subsidize electrical power consumption for data centers. I’m voting for that politician.
Admitting you'd belive a republican is wild. Why would you trust them???
"I'm willing to over look the continued support of the genocide of immigrants in my country if it gets rid of data centers," is a pretty wild take.
Single-issue anti-genocide voters ended up forcing the outcome that maximized genocide, so IDGAF what they have to say about it.
Single-issue anti-genocide voters ended up forcing the outcome that maximized genocide
By not voting for a Democrat.
I should've paid more attention to the GP's comment, where he said he'd even be willing to vote Republican. Single issue anti-data-center voters are just as fucked up.
Great then get the democrats to vote against data centers. I’ve tried. Over and over again. They keep saying “yeah we’ll stop the data centers or at least put a pause on them” then they do nothing. So at this point… I’m doing what is needed to stop the data centers: so start making calls to the democrats and help fix this. Or I’ll vote for those that will. And to be honest I do not want to vote for a Republican.
Data center owners: “Diesel generators, it is!”
"Gas turbines, it is!"
"If I can burn it, it'll turn it."
That might be good for nuclear SMR manufacturers. If what you're being told is "you cannot run a high-electricity-load business and have reliable power from the grid---you need to find a large source of electricity near where you operate", someone who can deploy a shit-ton of off-the-shelf sustained power generation at a particular location might have themselves a market.
The US is yet to produce a deployed SMR. In Canada construction of our first started in 2025 and it's expected to come online in 2030, so probably after 2030. These timelines don't look amazing at all for deploying power for the needs of hyperscale datacenters.
It's the only thing that makes sense.