* The voracious hunger of massive data centers for electricity is most definitely becoming a major issue. Illinois subsidizes their construction, but, other than those construction jobs, they typically employ only a few full-time people.
So, while I was glad to see the Sun-Times tackle this topic, I was confused when I saw this passage...
A large data center uses enough electricity to power entire neighborhoods or even small cities. This is happening as Illinois and other states seek to phase out fossil fuel energy sources to fight climate change.
Linda Young, 68, sees nothing positive about a proposed “quantum computing” project at a long-abandoned steel mill site along Lake Michigan just over 2 miles from her South Shore home. She worries about the effects on the lake and other environmental ramifications from the almost 130-acre development, but is also concerned about the potential for higher property taxes.
The South Side quantum project is separate from AI research and is not a data center. But its electricity use is likely to be similar to that of a “small” data center, a spokesman for the company PsiQuantum said.
Told that data centers and other projects by tech companies are helping to increase ComEd bills because of high electricity demand, Young, a retiree and grandmother of four, said: “Just living is enough of a struggle. Is quantum computing really about making our lives better?”
Emphasis added because what the heck?
Do you know what else can use huge amounts of electricity? Manufacturing. But when a factory expands or is built in Illinois, rarely does anyone even mention the increased strain on the grid. Why? Because new jobs and wealth are created.
Quantum is still a gamble. But it will likely create lots of high-paying jobs in the near term as it develops. Comparing that benefit to a far more power-sucking and near human-less data center is just bizarre.
Anyway, the rest of the story is pretty good. And Illinois most definitely should rethink its data center subsidies.
* Also, a recent Sun-Times editorial mentioned something else that must be in the mix: More high-voltage transmission lines...
Also up for the lame-duck session are proposals backed by the Clean Jobs Coalition for improving energy conservation and writing new rules for the power sector to make it more climate friendly. There also will be legislation to support the construction of large electrical battery storage facilities that can store electricity from peak solar and wind generation and make it available when needed.
Yet another bill would encourage the construction of high-voltage transmission lines to connect clean energy generation facilities to the power grid and distribute the power where it is needed. That’s an important part of any effort to shift to clean energy.
Those measures deserve support from lawmakers. So does improving public transit, which can help reduce pollution from the transportation sector.”
I read that story yesterday and had a similar reaction. The S-T regularly practices what seems, dishonest populism. I don't know whose interests their "Watchdogs" serve, but a well-informed reader isn't one of them.
ReplyDelete" And Illinois most definitely should rethink its data center subsidies."
ReplyDeleteBetter yet how about rethinking CEJA, which ties our hands in terms of electrical generation sources.
If anything if quantum is able to be made more practical it will end up reducing overall data center usage. That is some time away, but if they figure it out and make it practical you will get a lot more computing power for the Watt as it were.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the subsidies, they do seem to produce construction jobs at least. The number of folks around to run the places compared to their size is rather small. Depending on the data center there may all sorts of options where they go, or there may not be a whole lot of options. Some data centers gain a advantage over other data centers due to proximity to locations (or even other specific data centers).
All the data center work in Aurora off of Eola, is happening in large part because of an existing data center that is already there.
Good Jobs First reports that from mid-2019 to July 2023, Illinois granted $468 million worth of tax breaks to data centers in the form of sales and use tax exemptions; these tax breaks now cost the state $370 million annually.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/corporate-tax-breaks-hurt-illinois-good-jobs-first-op-ed
We should be limiting the growth of data centers, not subsidizing them.
===Better yet===
ReplyDeleteNo, not better yet.
Limiting the growth of data centers while the United States and entire world is moving forward with AI, quantum, and advanced manufacturing? Makes zero sense.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes zero sense is running short of electricity because of AI. They can build anywhere. They don't have to build here.
DeleteWhat’s perplexing about this story is that quantum is not anything like AI or data centers when it comes to energy use. They are like the giants of energy use and quantum is a baby in this space. Also, quantum is poised to help us solve big climate change challenges and it also doesn’t create harmful emissions. It’s also a little disingenuous to ask a random person on the street what they think about an industry that they don’t have a deep understanding about, which feels like an attempt to solicit a salacious response to fit a certain niche in the story. It’s helpful and smart to try and help people understand what is actually driving the cost of energy, which is not ComEd randomly raising prices but instead is driven by demand and competition via PJM. It feels too much like this reporter was working in overdrive to connect his story to the shiny new object in town, but really did a disservice to readers by not fully doing his homework on quantum.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
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