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by hunterpayne 36 days ago
There is a reason for that. Its not especially true. In fact, the more renewables you deploy, the more natural gas you use. And that's before you consider that most renewables are sited so poorly that it likely doesn't reduce CO2 emissions at all. This guy also seems to think that water is somehow destroyed when its used for cooling. This also isn't true. I really wish the author hadn't started with these claims that he clearly doesn't understand. There are good points much farther down, but he buried the lead under 20 feet of misunderstandings.
2 comments

"the more renewables you deploy, the more natural gas you use." -- source?

"most renewables are sited so poorly that it likely doesn't reduce CO2 emissions at all" -- source?

I don't think this even requires a source, it's completely made up.
Renewables are variable. To keep the grid balanced, you need quick dispatch-able power source. That's natural gas. As for the siting, look up a solar albino map and overlay where most PV is deployed. QED. Don't post about topics you clearly know nothing about. Seriously, these are topics you would consider, "knowing the first thing about power". Better to let people think you are ignorant than hitting the post button and showing the entire Internet your ignorance.
If you can’t be bothered to provide sources for any of your claims, when responding to an article that actually provided sources for its claims, we can just assume you’re making it up. When you become emotional when someone asks you to provide even a sliver of evidence, I have to assume you’re just spreading misinformation that aligns with your views. If you want to discuss in good faith, I’m here.
Yes, AI datacenters do actually use evaporative cooling. The water isn't destroyed obviously but it is made unavailable for other purposes (like keeping people, animals, and plants alive) and depletes water tables that can't be easily replenished
I hope you are also inveighing against industrial agricultural use of water, which uses orders of mangitude more water in significantly more wasteful ways.
Shouts "AI wastes water!" with food in my mouth while eating an almond butter sandwich with a pizza lined up next.
I need food to live I do not need AI to live