- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1122224/nuclear-power-plants-far-more-popular-than-ai-data-centers-for-local-areas
Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with 7% strongly in favor.
These results, from a March 2-18 Gallup survey, represent the first time Gallup has asked about data center construction, a topic that has met fierce opposition from local residents in many parts of the country. These data centers house computing equipment that helps power AI technology used by businesses, universities and other institutions. The centers cover large areas of land, require extensive amounts of electricity to operate and need substantial water to cool the equipment, raising concerns about their impact on the environment and local electric bills.
The data center question parallels the wording Gallup uses to ask about local nuclear power plant construction. In the same March survey, 53% of Americans say they oppose building a nuclear energy plant in their area, far less than the 71% opposed to data center construction. Since Gallup first asked the nuclear power plant question in 2001, the high point in opposition has been 63%.
You must log in or # to comment.
If we must have an eyesore, it may as well be a useful one.
Or a solar farm, so it doesn’t have to be an eyesore either.
If it’s concentrating solar, those things are literally an eyesore. Shit’s bright.
I wouldn’t want to live next to one, but they’re cool as shit to fly over. When I fly from the east coast to LA, at some point when I’m over Nevada I’ll be able to look out the window and see what looks like a bright star shining in broad daylight, out in the desert in the distance. After thinking about it for a while I decided it could really only be one thing, that’s a concentrated solar plant. It’s truly impressive how far away you can see it from.
But only the first time.
It’s too late for Nuclear the drawbacks just don’t outweigh the benefits anymore, we should have gone nuclear 50 years ago, now it makes sense to go straight to renewables.
I’m not against nuclear but it just doesn’t make sense to build new nuclear China doesn’t have any of the excuses pro-nuclear blame (NIMBYs/OSHA/etc) yet they aren’t investing in nuclear.
Well we need both. We can’t power the world 100% off renewables because we don’t inave a global power distribution network.
Why not?
We have batteries, geothermal, hydro & wind.
There are already countries that are 100% renewable, without a global grid.
Country Renewable % Rest of mix Bhutan ~100% Negligible fossil backup; nearly all hydro — RatedPower Albania ~100% Small fossil gas imports during drought years; solar growing to 9% of capacity — RatedPower Paraguay ~100% Negligible; exports large surplus hydro to Brazil & Argentina — RatedPower Iceland ~99% ~1% oil/gas peaking; geothermal + hydro dominant — Our World in Data Costa Rica ~99% ~1% diesel backup generation — Our World in Data Nepal ~99% ~1% fossil fuel; imports some coal-based power from India during dry season — RatedPower Norway ~98% ~1% fossil gas, ~1% other; minor imports during low-hydro periods — Our World in Data
The technology is sound and the drawbacks are massively overblown by the fossil fuel lobby. But Old style monolithic nuclear doesn’t make any economic sense in the modern world. The regulatory system in most western countries plus mechanical complexity doesn’t allow for it to be built in any reasonable timeframe.
SMR’s might make a decent dent in decentralized grid situations tbh. Otherwise it’s going to be everyone holding out for fusion to magically get its ass into gear.
Otherwise it’s going to be everyone holding out for fusion to magically get its ass into gear.
Or y’know using renewable, China built/claims to have built 430 GW of renewables in 2025, solar can be deployed nearly anywhere and unlike SMR doesn’t produce nuclear waste that you somehow have to safely despose of from your remote off grid location
If one is opposed by 53% and the other is opposed by 71%, a title suggesting that either is “popular” is a bit misleading.
Yes, please stop building both of those things.
as they should be
Still don’t want a Nuclear power plant either. Nobody ever seems to mention where the waste will go 🤔 I’d rather renewables
Nobody ever seems to mention where the waste will go
Because it’s a solved problem. Only conspiracy theories think it’s hard problem
The problem of where the waste will go is easily solved by projects like Onkalo in Finland.
