Someone has a data center problem

I just reviewed the latest installment of Ivy Main’s serial “critiques of capitalism” entitled “Commentary: Virginia has a data center problem” In her latest critique, Ms. Main has a problem with data centers. Last time it was natural gas appliances that she didn’t like. The time before, I have forgotten. First, there should be no left and right regarding energy sources and uses, the reality of global warming, and the policies needed to lower CO2 emissions. Policies should be based on an unbiased examination of facts. There’s still plenty of room for somewhat partisan debate on how to provide incentives to capitalists to meet various environmental goals. I appreciate Ms. Main’s passion for solving the CO2 problem, but I believe there needs to be more detail in what is published on the topic, including in the Royal Examiner. Also, I want to specifically thank her for the “For you energy nerds” parenthetical.

Near the beginning, Ms. Main claims, “a single building covers acres of land, causing massive rainwater runoff problems that can impact streams and drinking water resources miles downstream.” That’s a nice easy math problem. A four-inch rain within a few hours is to be expected in our area (BTW, there’s no trend in short-duration rainfalls). Let’s assume there’s a building with a two-acre impervious roof. As Ms. Main notes later, there are relatively few employees at these data centers, so less of a need for parking lots. Two acres and four inches are about 30,000 cubic feet of water. Let’s assume the facility must retain 100% of that water for gradual, environmentally beneficial release. They will need a holding capacity with dimensions of 55 feet by 55 feet by 10 feet deep. With sloping sides, probably 60×60 feet. That’s a simple regulation to enact and enforce. Problem solved.

Next, the claim is that “Cooling the servers requires a single data center to consume as much water as a city of 30,000-50,000 people, and giant fans make the surrounding area noisy day and night”. Ms. Main provides a link to Google’s use of reclaimed water, but I found a local link https://www.loudounwater.org/commercial-customers/reclaimed-water-program which points out that businesses in Loudoun county that need non-potable water, like data centers can use reclaimed water, which is treated wastewater. The requirements for data center water are that it is cool and relatively clean. Reclaimed water meets those requirements. Presumably, data center wastewater can also be reclaimed, the only issue being cooling. Seems like a solvable problem to me, just like noise abatement. I work in Rosslyn directly above a diesel backup generator that is tested weekly. It’s annoying for about a half hour per week, but I am right above it, and the noise barriers channel the noise upwards.

Next, we get to the meat of the matter: “Moreover, data centers require astonishing amounts of energy to power their operations and cool their servers. The industry uses over 12% of Dominion Energy Virginia’s total electricity supply more than any other business category.” Dominion built a gas plant on the Shenandoah in Warren county, where I live, to feed Loudoun county. The river supplies the water, and the lines were routed over the Blue Ridge on an existing right-of-way. The plant was a win for both counties. But the more important point is what is that energy used for?

Full disclosure: I have Bitcoin and about a dozen other cryptocurrency holdings. A quick explanation may be useful. I participated years ago simply because the technology was so amazing. In order to ensure that cryptocurrency transactions are immutable (permanent) and valid (not fraudulent), a cryptocurrency scheme employs independent miners who perform massive numbers of computations in a never-ending series of contests. Winning miners automatically receive payment in cryptocurrency, so the problem being solved has to be difficult and impossible to cheat. Thus the current method for Bitcoin requires enormous amounts of energy. However, the cryptocurrency Ethereum switched to “proof of stake” last September, which uses 1,000 times less energy. I’m sure that won’t matter to Ms. Main. Like the Chinese government, she simply wants to ban cryptocurrency in Virginia, and she says so. I find that frankly astounding. Had some world government banned “proof of work” Ethereum years ago, there would be no even more amazing “proof of stake” Ethereum today. Also, as with all capitalist endeavors, the participants constantly try to reduce costs, mainly their energy use. The problem will solve itself, with no need for authoritarianism. (Editors note: Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality. Ether is the native cryptocurrency of the platform. Among cryptocurrencies, ether is second only to bitcoin in market capitalization.)

I read the linked op-ed described as an argument that there’s “no such thing as a green data center.” The argument appears to be a NIMBY argument, not a reasoned analysis of data centers. I could write many pages on why data centers are beneficial. I have about a half dozen virtual servers at data centers in various locations that are extremely productive and inexpensive. Like many people, I do a lot in the “cloud,” but even less than kids these days who don’t even own a CD (all their music is in the cloud). Those darn kids have orders of magnitude less environmental impact than my CDs, but still, I cling to my old CDs, although I mostly buy them used. We all need to think about the truly miraculous uses of data centers along with the miracle of capitalism, which constantly lowers costs (and energy use) but will need some incentives like a carbon tax or even a tax on data centers. And as Ms. Main acknowledges up front: “Data centers pay a lot of local taxes while requiring little in the way of local services.” Problem solved.

Eric Peterson
Warren County