Originally published at: AI DATA CENTERS: DO THE MATH, THE GRID IS INADEQUATE TO THE DEMAND
We end this week’s blogs with yet another important article shared by G.P. (with our gratitude). The subject: the ridiculous power and energy demands of those artificial intelligence data centers, and the hidden implication. Here’s the story: Musk’s Data Center Power Math: “Would Double U.S. Electrical Energy Output Per Year” If you’ve been paying attention,…
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Ireland has been aggressively attracting datacentres, but with no effective strategic or operational plans to increase the unfractured. This is another indicator of the incompetence of the two party (really one party) coalition which has been in power for the last 16 years. For example there a National Children’s Hospital based near Dublin City Centre (and a traffic ‘mare) turned the sod back in 2013, but the political and professional interest have been wrangling on this one since at least the 1970s. It has missed every single delivery timescale target since and what started out at an estimate of about 400 euros is now sitting 2.7 billion euros, and with ongoing contractual legal cases at the high court it has blown through its final delivery date for 2025. Take also the example of immigration and the government invitation in 8 African, Middle Eastern and Asian languages inviting all to come to Ireland very similar goodies as in the USAs but with priority for accommodation during an ongoing housing crisis. Think tents by canals an down laneways in cities. I make 5this examples because the government will not change its spots. It will jettison the population in favour of Big Tech interests.
The cost of electricity has just risen again this month by 10%. Datacentres now account for about a quarter of the national supply, and if the Greens who facilitated datacentres while in government were serious about CO2, then the datacentres are pumping 135,000 tonnes of CO2 (same as 40,000 cars per year) currently with another 40 planned. The expected growth in electricity alone is set to rise exponentially. Ireland's data centres turning to fossil fuels after maxing out country's electricity grid The estimate for growth in the embedded article (a pro government outlet) is based on 89 datacentres, however, the actual count is around 135 datacentres with at least 40 more in planning. So the graph should reflect an upward hockey curve to reflect a doubling of demand on power.
So it this explains why most of the power costs have more than doubled in the past 15 years How Much is the Average Electricity Bill in Ireland ? - Money Guide Ireland but have begun to accelerate aggressively since 2021 (pre The Ukraine Conflict), when both domestic urban and rural power usage is actually declining. Yet again hard pressed domestic users are subsidising and paying for the grandiosity and virtue signalling of the regime towards powerful and often external interests. How Much is the Average Electricity Bill in Ireland ? - Money Guide Ireland They openly favour technocratic approaches to government and have said so in the press. Unfortunately not many of the population, or even of the elected Dáil members, fully understand what is meant by the term. But in the virtue filled rush to acquire datacentres and favour of those powerful interests. Prices | Energy Statistics In Ireland | SEAI. But amore recent and accurate survey conducted by the Irish Energy Agency demonstrates that retail electricity prices being 3 Times more than wholesale prices is attached. And also to note that smart metered electricity is 25% more per Kilowatt usage than non smart metered Kilowatt usage.
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Just a related comment -
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… electricity for ME but not for thee. Oh yeah, and do not forget all of the water required for these installations. and … Oh yeah, by the way the water used to cool the installations is treated with God knows what kinds of chemicals and is unsuitable for human use afterward. I’m sure that they will claim that the water is “treated” and that the treatment is “safe and effective” but we all know what is currently happening and will continue to happen. The water will be pumped into fields where it will seep into the water table and contaminate underground water supplies (please see Polyfluoroalkyl substances). Can’ t wait to see the mutations resulting from this next round of water contamination. Hmmmm … badly written AI projects and papers for the drinking water supply. Sounds like a great trade off folks. Oh well, Sling 'Em!
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Yup. I live in a county whose commissioners almost always greenlight any development project, esp Big Tech. Some pesky citizens pointed out that the data centers were going to pull from the same aquifer as village water systems, and - as my older bro used to say laconically, “why am I not surprised” - that didn’t stop anything.
A different village in another county, less likely to grant absolute license to development, so far has stopped the planned data center in their area.
We can’t have anything whatsoever stand in the way of the “free market,” doncha know, even human life of the commoners!
As Paul Hawken reportedly used to say, “if conservatives actually ever conserved anything, I would join them!” (personally I hide behind my complete insignificance in public life)
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I can see “it” now.
The Elites begin dying with the “rest” of humanity…
BUT, “THEY” told “us” we were immune!
“They Lied!”
Really?
Since when… ?
Its even more problematic for domestic water users, as the datacentres here predominantly use mains potable clean water, draining huge amounts of that out of the water distribution networks. This, plus decrepit water pipe networks that are to 50% leakage rates; also the government intended selling the national water network and pumping systems and co-opting private group scheme water systems for Veolia a private water corporation provider. All of this caused a water revolt a little while ago. So no one is paying any water rates now as a result national payment boycotts - we’re good at doing those, hell we invented the term and practice. And the government was forced to back down for now. The water supply should be free and the distribution should just be a strategic resource owned by the people. We are already up to 48% incomes taxes for most people.
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Once it privatized…
Cleaning the water is too expensive…
An unnecessary cost.
Upkeep of equipment?
Effects bottom line.
An unnecessary cost.
WATER is just a vehicle; towards a healthy bottom line.
Bottom line…?
Drive the vehicle, to its death.
AND that’s the time TO BUY!
Another public-utility vehicle!
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I am of a generation here in the U.S. that believed exactly what your last sentences said, MarkSean. We didn’t believe the “free market uber alles,” and many conservatives would have been protectors of the wilderness or of the population of small towns or small family owned businesses. And liberals weren’t the ardent defenders of untouchable global elites that they have become - some also used to defend the small and vulnerable among people or businesses.
But in my 30’s, that all changed and Chicago Boys rules & Milton Friedman ideology took over. We once had - fancy this! - something called USURY laws, which got struck down. Now I doubt anyone under 50 has even heard the word “usury,” let alone comprehends its effects on a society. I have watched as the glorification of monopolies and billionaires have taken over my culture on both political sides.
Good on the Irish for that boycott! For 10+ years, I followed an Irish woman (from County Omagh) on YouTube who lives in a small, old cottage in County Roscommon, having left her life as a teacher in the UK (Colette O’Neill), because of her rebellious, can-do spirit of self reliance. Sounds like something she’d do!
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… about the only option left is to find ways to cut their power supply. Maybe we will not need to be like the Mujahideen in the caves of Tora Bora waiting for a contemporary Adnan Khashoggi. All that might be needed in the case of a Data Center is a black market EMP generator.
Another option would be a DEW that would produce global hemispheric Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This is a fancy way of saying “disrupting the majority of normal brain function”. Sadly I’m quite sure somewhere near the laboratory that is attempting to supercharge the Ebola virus someone is working on or has almost completed the work on such a weapon. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Disrupting Neural Activity to Alter and Assess Brain Function - PMC
Believe it or not this technique was used on children to study brain function. The idea was that one could use this technique to create an “artificial brain lesion”. It was decided that this was probably not a good idea in that after TMS occasionally the area of brain tissue that was zapped did not return to normal function and left a permanent lesion. True story.
Sling 'Em!
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From “Dark Mohgarr’s” End-of-the-World apparel line I’ll be introducing a few items and accessories…
Although it’s certainly POSSIBLE to wear these together the author would hope that wearing the one would preclude the eventuality of being forced to wear the “digital” version of the other. The placement of the keys did not happen by accident…
Those cuffs are genuine by the way, as is the danger. Originally, I posed for a picture wearing both of these together at the same time with the keys in my open hand…but my wife thought the result could be interpreted as bordering on salacious…so now you have the PG version 
You’re welcome…
Oh yeah… SLING "EM!
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Every time I am reminded of Adnan Khashoggi - he moved in same society circles in the 80s as DJT - I think of Henny Youngman’s quote about the Manhattan socialite parties of the '80s - Henry Kravis & his lovely wife Marie-Josee of WEF fame & all - “if you haven’t been indicted, you weren’t invited.” (if I’ve posted this before on Giza, my apologies)
And now, the end is near…can’t wait for the ending, too apocalyptic? 
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People understand water way better than power generation economics, so a bunch of datacentres have slipped in under that radar. It’s about raising the awareness now, helped by the escalating costs of electricity. Especially now that crude prices are simultaneously heading towards the floor now without pass through the pumps. People are seeing the concrete effects of government policy, and there is a burgeoning realisation, as mainstream media cant avoid the focus on these and the linkage to big corporations and government decision-making in their favour. Your smart meter and fuel station pumps are providing the concrete experience at about $7.60 dollars/gallon. I can see choppy waters ahead for the government, as all their duties and taxes run at 55% of the price/litre in Gas/Petrol and 50.5% in Diesel/Gasoil.
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It was a hard fight but I was able to switch back to the standard electric meter. I HIGHLY suggest taking on THAT fight if nothing else. It will likely force them to create a paper trail of authorizations and signatures instead of remotely adjusting the meter whenever they see fit rather than have you throw a fit after the fact.
It’s far from the only battlefield but its certainly one of keystones in my humble opinion
Never too apocalyptic for Dark Mohgarr… I’d better cut this out…may get to liking it.
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Agreed. And its about getting the awareness out to the public, not only is it a serious privacy and control issue, which honestly are still very esoteric tin foil hat topics still to most, but as well pointing up that a higher rate of cost per unit K/w is applied if you actually use a smart-meter for some weird reason at about 12.6% of the cost per K/Watt used.
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I can testify that even up to our current time that it has been slightly cheaper to use the old analog-ish unit than the smart meter… and that takes in to account the initial 200 fee plus the monthly 22 dollar extortion payments to be able to use what I already had (they jumped my fence to get it even though I’d made them very aware that I had no desire to participate in the change. Years later I found out they were giving bonuses to the employees that “took care” of the holdouts such as myself)…
The real savings will come when they can’t shut off the power at a whim or remotely change the rate when they deem it “prime usage”…but I’m sure something will be in the works for us anyway.
Oh, and yeah…helps that it won’t take part in burning down one’s house too.
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I still have an analogue electric meter with spinning dial in the middle with little numbered dial usage gauges. Two individuals knocked at my door for permission to change to smart meter. First one was a contractor, the second was an employee from the electric company which is a Coop owned by the customers. I declined access both times. The coop employee said I would be billed a monthly surcharge without one, have yet to see one after two years. He said currently they have to send an employee around to gather the information. I said okay I’ll help save the guy’s job by not having a Smart meter. I’ve never seen anyone read the meter like in the old days, so not sure how they gather the information. My guess is the new meter would have allowed remote access from the office.
Not sure exactly which one you have but here’s a bit more of what happened to me…
They tried MULTIPLE times to switch my meter out around 2009 from the true analog to the R/F meter. I caught and denied them at least half a dozen times. In 2011 while I was home alone recovering from a major surgery the power went off and so I went out to investigate. Found an older female worker walking off with my old meter and, although I argued with her about it, was simply too exhausted to deal with her at that moment. The unit that they replaced it with was the R/F meter (radio frequency) which broadcasts every 16 seconds (from memory) but only a short distance for the meter-reader who drives by and reads from his truck.
Obviously, I was quite upset and it led to tons of research and related anecdotal accounts from others. I found that there were a good number of cases where the electric company would simply bill you an arbitrary amount based on your previous usage in the same month of the year. There were quite a few cases that even made it to court IIRC. Also cases of the meter reader making up the numbers, etc. They seem to play it fast and loose in many instances. So IF you haven’t seen the man reading the meter then one of those scenarios is likely in play IMO.
Once they have the old meter, you’re basically at their mercy. In some areas there is likely less pressure put on the street walkers to “make their stealth quota”. I was told FIRSTHAND by the older woman that took mine that that was exactly what happened in my case, and there were not many hold-outs in my area…sadly.
I should add that 'They" made it clear that the meter had a shelf life and that there were only a few of these units left in stock and only one guy even knew where they were kept. I would imagine that is how they’ll attempt to justify changing it out in 5 years or so…claiming that the old unit tests bad and nothing left to replace it… They’ll play hell though, getting to mine.
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Guess I have an R/F meter. At least they can’t shut it off at the office with a computer. I hope. It’s the same meter on the house when I purchased it eight years ago.
Reconditioned analogue meters were cheap and easy to get a few years ago who I managed an RV park where each site was metered.