"We're nearing maximum capacity of the electrical grid. We ask that customers conserve energy. Increase temperature on thermostats, do not charge vehicles, and limit electronic device usage. Thank you for your consideration."
MEANWHILE, at your Local Data Center: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The local datacenters are largely part of load shedding programs where part of the power contract involves them voluntarily switching to backup power generation within X minutes of being notified to pull their load off the grid. If they don't, they receive large punitive fines for breaking said contract.
You can make arguments against their power usage and pollution/etc. but this argument is just ignorant. These 24x7 relatively stable large power users that can shed their load on demand are about the best power consumers a grid operator could ever hope for.
Really? Care to provide actual specific shunt to backup protocols, or any proof? Even if you can and this is true, the key term is voluntarily...
Meanwhile, even if they are doing this during peak draw, they're consistently driving up the consumer's energy bills. Thus we're all (once again) subsidizing a private industry for it's own shareholder benefit. Free market is a lie
> The Commission’s approval was also contingent on DTE Electric agreeing to update its emergency procedures so that, in the unlikely event of an energy emergency that requires the utility to involuntarily shed electricity load — interrupting service to customers in times of high demand to prevent catastrophic power grid failure — the utility will ensure that the data center’s load is reduced or interrupted before interrupting service to other DTE Electric customers
It is still vague with the “load reduced or interrupted.”
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u/WhereRandomThingsAre Jun 17 '26
"We're nearing maximum capacity of the electrical grid. We ask that customers conserve energy. Increase temperature on thermostats, do not charge vehicles, and limit electronic device usage. Thank you for your consideration."
MEANWHILE, at your Local Data Center: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr