[quickthrowman]

It takes 2.5 million solar panels to generate 1GW of electricity assuming 400W per panel and direct sunlight. 2.5M times 18 sq ft per panel is about 1000 acres or ~1.55 sq mi.

That would work for a 1 GW data center, during the day, without clouds, during the summer.

[0cf8612b2e1e]

Is that supposed to be a lot? The US is some 3.8 million square miles.

A decade old Reddit thread estimated there are 60 square miles of just McDonalds. That is, a McDonalds footprint of solar panels alone is 39GW.

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/comments/2bq7l2/so_i...

[downrightmike]

The US gov't owns at least 50% of every state in the west. Or they could just build in the middle of bum f*ck Texas and get fossil and renewables. Too bad Texas' grid is so piss poor

[AnthonyMouse]

The Texas grid that already generates more TWh from renewables than any other state?