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Improper redaction reveals Google Data Center water and electricity usage

384 points · 503 comments · sensanaty

  1. aliasxneo · · focus · HN ↗
    I lived in a smaller rural town near a Google datacenter. During my career there I had routinely come across some outlandish accusations made about our water/power usage from the locals. But for obvious reasons I could never dispute them. I remember we hired a local who'd grown up in the town and he was "really surprised" when he started to see what we were doing to remain efficient.

    The current data center craze just feels like the same thing but on a bigger scale.

    1. michaelt · · focus · HN ↗
      > I had routinely come across some outlandish accusations made about our water/power usage from the locals. But for obvious reasons I could never dispute them.

      It'd be pretty easy for the company to dispel those outlandish accusations - the PR department could just report the true numbers.

      1. Eyas · · focus · HN ↗
        Worth considering in the current climate. My impression a while ago is that the exact water and power usage of any large company's data center is seen as a trade secret of sorts; if a large company invested to become XX% efficient, it might not want competitors to know it hit a certain efficiency target.
        1. bix6 · · focus · HN ↗

          [dead]

          1. junofan · · focus · HN ↗
            It’s already permitted and operating. Presumably they want the $XX million tax rebates, which haven’t yet been paid out according to this article. Maybe that’s the case in other places too.

            Why not get people riled up over water under the bridge and not unpaid rebates? What can anybody do about it? Send the sheriff to lock out the facility?

            1. bix6 · · focus · HN ↗
              Sorry but large companies forcing NDAs with public servants does not fly.
              1. forgetfreeman · · focus · HN ↗
                Absolutely. That shouldn't even be legally possible outside of very narrowly scoped defense contracts.
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