Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 14:25     Subject: Re:Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Datacenter industry person here. In most areas, datacenters pay a special commercial rate, which is typically higher than regular commercial cusotmers. Those rates are higher than residential rates.

As for jobs, yes there are a lot fewer jobs in the land area a datacenter takes up compared to putting a shopping mall on the same space. However, datacenters are usually in undesirable locations, and don't generate much traffic. Many of the jobs in datacenters are very high paying because the people who are on staff tend to be very skilled engineers... along with security guards who are paid market rate.


Dont really care. It's a scourge on our communities.


"Don't really care" but provide no actual reason or refuting point. I'm not in DMV, and this issue is quickly coming to where I live, but they're locating them at former industrial plants that shut down etc. No shopping malls/housing going up there.
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 14:20     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:Because corporations are America's biggest welfare queens and get the most handouts


+2
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 14:17     Subject: Re:Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Datacenter industry person here. In most areas, datacenters pay a special commercial rate, which is typically higher than regular commercial cusotmers. Those rates are higher than residential rates.

As for jobs, yes there are a lot fewer jobs in the land area a datacenter takes up compared to putting a shopping mall on the same space. However, datacenters are usually in undesirable locations, and don't generate much traffic. Many of the jobs in datacenters are very high paying because the people who are on staff tend to be very skilled engineers... along with security guards who are paid market rate.


Dont really care. It's a scourge on our communities.


You will of course hold fast to your values by immediately disconnecting from the network, right?
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 14:16     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All users pay for the infrastructure required to generate and deliver electricity. When you have huge data centers consuming massive amounts of electricity, all users of that electricity company share in the cost to build that capacity. We are not directly paying their electricity bill but we are indirectly paying for the infrastructure which increases all of our bills


Yes they are not paying their fair share. They aren't paying proportionate to their usage. They're being subsidized by the public without a corresponding public benefit


Cloud computing and storage, network reliability/resilience, and so on are not public benefits? How silly of those of us who think otherwise.

Data centers enable capabilities we all want, albeit usually not in our own back yards. We want AI, we want robust IT infrastructures supporting our personal and business needs, and we want it all at the expense of the providers?
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 09:36     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Another big issue with them that is starting to bubble up is the transmission lines that will be needed to get to and from the centers. These are not only a huge infrastructure cost but will be a blight on the landscape. Lots of issues with NIMBYism and environmental concerns.
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 09:15     Subject: Re:Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:Datacenter industry person here. In most areas, datacenters pay a special commercial rate, which is typically higher than regular commercial cusotmers. Those rates are higher than residential rates.

As for jobs, yes there are a lot fewer jobs in the land area a datacenter takes up compared to putting a shopping mall on the same space. However, datacenters are usually in undesirable locations, and don't generate much traffic. Many of the jobs in datacenters are very high paying because the people who are on staff tend to be very skilled engineers... along with security guards who are paid market rate.


Dont really care. It's a scourge on our communities.
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 09:09     Subject: Re:Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Datacenter industry person here. In most areas, datacenters pay a special commercial rate, which is typically higher than regular commercial cusotmers. Those rates are higher than residential rates.

As for jobs, yes there are a lot fewer jobs in the land area a datacenter takes up compared to putting a shopping mall on the same space. However, datacenters are usually in undesirable locations, and don't generate much traffic. Many of the jobs in datacenters are very high paying because the people who are on staff tend to be very skilled engineers... along with security guards who are paid market rate.
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 08:06     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All users pay for the infrastructure required to generate and deliver electricity. When you have huge data centers consuming massive amounts of electricity, all users of that electricity company share in the cost to build that capacity. We are not directly paying their electricity bill but we are indirectly paying for the infrastructure which increases all of our bills


Yes they are not paying their fair share. They aren't paying proportionate to their usage. They're being subsidized by the public without a corresponding public benefit


As opposed to a similar thing happening, where DC Water has increased water charges significantly over the last decade, in order to pay for major infrastructure that prevents flooding and releases of storm runoff into the Potomac/Chesapeake Bay. We are all paying for it, but it's a major public benefit.


And DC eater is a public utility. Their mission is for safe water and sewer for the public. These data centers' mandate is to profit shareholders.
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2026 08:03     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:Because corporations are people too, and weirdly we have socialism for those people but not for the human kind.


Then corporations should be able to stand trial for murder
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 22:30     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Because corporations are people too, and weirdly we have socialism for those people but not for the human kind.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 17:15     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:Because our politicians sold us out.


THIS!
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 16:54     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:I miss investigative journalism and facts.


Isn't that the truth! The allure of "free news" was just too appealing. It broke our society.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 15:51     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
I miss investigative journalism and facts.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 15:20     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How are you paying for someone else?

Can you explain?


google is your friend....this has been written about tons over the last year.


How would I Google about someone else paying for another person's electricity?

It's almost as if OP should ask a better question.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2026 15:08     Subject: Why are we paying for data centers' electricity usage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All users pay for the infrastructure required to generate and deliver electricity. When you have huge data centers consuming massive amounts of electricity, all users of that electricity company share in the cost to build that capacity. We are not directly paying their electricity bill but we are indirectly paying for the infrastructure which increases all of our bills


Yes they are not paying their fair share. They aren't paying proportionate to their usage. They're being subsidized by the public without a corresponding public benefit


What is their "fair share"? Don't they pay their own electricity bill?