[Gormo]

> The objection is power and water consumption and any other externalities imposed on the local community.

That seems a bit bizarre, since people opening new facilities are usually responsible for paying for their inputs with their own funds -- if merely increasing demand for power or water is itself generating externalities, that implies that there's a much more fundamental economic problem that needs to be resolved.

[luxuryballs]

the one gripe I do have is with the power companies in one state building new infrastructure for a neighboring state to pipe power out for data centers but then raises rates on the locals to fund it, something def needs to be done about that

[Gormo]

Agreed. I don't know whether that's a significant problem, though, or if it's being overblown in the media, given that most states already have oversight mechanisms for utility pricing from monopoly service providers.

Where I live, for example, consumer rate increases above a certain level have to be validated by the state's Public Service Commission.