I’m an artist working on a project about the impact of AI data centers (for things like ChatGPT / Grok / Anthropic / LLMS etc)
Particularly any noise that might affect folks that live nearby... is it loud, is it totally fine?
Is that anyone here?
If so, I’d love to ask you a couple of quick qs, and if possible get an audio recording of what’s it like.
Governor Healey made a promise to transform the state into a “global leader” in AI innovation. In 2024, she introduced the Mass Leads Act, a $100 million proposal to “attract AI talent to the state” by providing a tax exemption for data center construction, making it easier for future companies to break ground on new centers.
But a data center in Lowell, Massachusetts encapsulates the local stakes of expansion.
At full build, we have been told the Stratos data center project in Box Elder County will require 9 Gigawatts of power to operate. Generators would require between 1.5 & 2.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day at that power output. MIDA and O'Leary claim the Stratos data center will use a "closed loop" system, requiring water to be cooled as it is cycled through.
The Ruby natural gas pipeline runs west to east 600+ miles from Wyoming to Oregon, through the Hansel Valley adjacent to the proposed Stratos site. Based on a web search, the capacity of the Ruby pipeline is 1.5 Billion cubic feet per day. This is minimum amount of natural gas needed to run the Stratos data center at full buildout based on my research.
There have been a few twists and turns since the pipeline became operational in 2011. The original owner filed for bankruptcy in 2022, when Tallgrass Energy purchased the pipeline assets and began operating it. It appears the Ruby pipeline is running at only 50% capacity currently. Apparently, Tallgrass has been "shopping" excess capacity to prospective data centers along the route, including Stratos/O'Leary.
A few questions I have:
Does the 9 GW of power required to run the data center include or exclude the extra power required for cooling the water in the closed loop system? What does that look like?
If the Ruby pipeline has a max capacity of 1.5 Billion FT3 of NG per day and half of that is already flowing through to Oregon, where is the remaining gas going to come from for the Stratos project?
The law of supply and demand is going to come into play once this data center (if approved) begins ramping up. What do anticipated natural gas rate increases start to look like year 1-10 for the intermountain west, and the west coast?
What is the reasoning behind it? Do we have enough already? Can’t we improve the efficiency of what we already have?
Seems like the big boys are simply building more for bragging rights than anything else.
Texarkana is not a cooling vent for AI corporations
Two massive AI data centers are coming to our region, 3,500 acres total, and they're bringing serious problems with them.
Electricity bills could spike 267% in areas with heavy data center activity. The 24/7 low-frequency hum from cooling systems can be heard 2 miles away and causes migraines and sleep problems, among other issues. A single facility could drain 300,000 gallons of water daily, the equivalent of what 100,000 homes use. And despite consuming 3,500 acres, one of the projects only promises 120 permanent jobs. Speculated to be shipped in from other regions, not locally provided jobs.
We already presented 2,433 signatures to Texarkana's city council in May. Now we're fighting to make sure the Arkansas side doesn't get sold without a real conversation with the people who actually live here. We're asking city leaders to demand total transparency on all agreements, protect residents from utility cost hikes, enforce strict 3-mile buffers between data centers and homes, and implement real noise and water protection standards.
If this matters to you too, consider signing and sharing. The next meeting is Texarkana, AR Board of Directors on Monday, May 18th at 6:00 PM (City Hall, 216 Walnut St). Does anyone else feel like this is getting out of hand?
I’ve never in my lifetime seen anything like this on this scale. And I’m concerned. For many reasons. Beyond the impact AI may have on our lives, I’m seeing and reading about data centers coming into communities and quickly building. People in the communities are protesting and concerned but I keep seeing and reading over and over again, despite community concern, city officials allowed the data center to proceed with the build as if peoples’ concern are ignored. This worries me. It feels like something extremely big is coming within this. I’m not happy with the overall lack of environment safety put in place and just read another political leaders lifting requirements on environmental rules. I could keep going on and on. But if the farmland is being bought at large prices, where will crops be grown? The fallout to our environment is mind numbing. Climate change —-I thought this should be a priority, from everything I’m reading these data center are BAD for the environment. I thought our country had lots of problems before, but now I’m not recognizing the United States anymore. When I wrote that the word United came to mind. How are we united ? In the context of so many things. I’ve never been a supporter of nuclear power because of all the hazards and I feel there was some regulation. Where is the regulation for these data centers? One thing is clear: money talks. Money is driving these and people with power and politics is allowing it.
You can submit complaints to ABC here (Click on "Submit Programming Feedback" and choose Shark Tank: https://support.abc.com/hc/en-us?return_to=%2Fhc%2Frequests
I highly recommend that we all submit requests and boycott ABC until he is either removed or halts his data center. I want to continue living in Utah. But he may force me out when the lake dries.
It occurred to me that O'leary wants to "mine for bitcoin" which is a harmful ponzi scheme. It hurts people as much as the data centers do. It has no benefit to mankind. So, diminishing the quality of life for millions of people for that is wrong. Ironically, I asked AI about that.
AI said:
The massive 40,000-acre "Stratos" data center project proposed for Box Elder County, Utah, is primarily designed as a high-capacity AI and hyperscale campus, but its immense power generation capacity of up to 9 gigawatts, powered by natural gas, provides the energy flexibility often associated with large-scale bitcoin mining.
While marketed for AI, such enormous energy-focused projects are frequently capable of supporting various computing intensive activities, including cryptocurrency mining.
Project Scope: The project, associated with investor Kevin O'Leary, is massive, spanning 62 square miles near the Great Salt Lake.
Power Source: The facility plans to connect to the Ruby Pipeline to receive natural gas, generating its own power on-site, rather than relying solely on the state’s electrical grid.
Controversy & Usage: Local officials approved the project, with stakeholders arguing it will support technological advancement and energy resilience, while critics raise concerns about the high energy consumption and environmental impact.
Timeline: The project is in early stages, with officials estimating it could be roughly ten years before it is fully operational.