quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
I am fully serious when I say I fear AI killing us. To a lesser degree it's a complete step change in how we will operate. There's a number of ways AI could do it directly or lead us to devise pathogens or weapons that were otherwise far in the future. See WaterburyBob's reply above.

Count your blessings many here are retired. The whole damn apple cart is going to be completely upset. We will lose many, many jobs until we adjust to a new normal, there's early and mid career people that will need to retrain.

Fear the AI over the physical buildings.

I can appreciate what you are saying about your particular physical building. But, still, not all data centers are created equal. I'm sure some are much more acceptable to the people who live near them than others.

But also, you say "fear the AI over the physical buildings". And I agree with you. But you can't really separate the two. The entire purpose or the new, larger and more powerful data centers are to enable AI in order to do two things:
1. surveillance and tracking of every move people make, either physically or digitally.
2. replace people, functionally in the economy.

I just walked through customs returning from overseas, no ID, no passport, just walk past a camera wait three seconds then "you're good". The people worried about surveillance is a joke to me. That ship has long sailed. They probably had my dental records and disappointing grade from sixth grade band available to them.

My fear of AI is a step change in how businesses operate; how people can retool for the next industrial revolution; and yes skynet, war, diseases, and every single SciFi movie.

Yes all data centers have different impacts and some are approved that shouldn't, that ≠ all data centers are bad.

All that being said they aren't going anywhere and if one fails someone will scoop up the buildings, but more importantly the power. We are in our ages space/nuclear race. No one is taking their foot off the pedal. There's a lot of unforseen consequences and shock coming our way, but it's not from a building.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Skins, calm down brother.

You like data centers and their purpose, impact, scale and volume don't matter to you. Okie doke.

Others, not so much or not at all. For what ever the reason. Deal with it.


time to find something else to dwell on. Geez.

You seem to know a lot about what I like, but you are dead wrong. I hate people who comment on things they are ignorant of and nonsensical arguments. That doesn't mean I blindly support data centers, it means try to have a intelligent discussion about relevant topics.

[/QUOTE]


You seem to know a lot about what I like, but you are dead wrong. I hate people who comment on things they are ignorant of and nonsensical arguments. That doesn't mean I blindly support data centers, it means try to have a intelligent discussion about relevant topics.[/QUOTE]

So if people see things differently than you or you think they are wrong and "you" are right, you "hate" them.
Wow, that has to be a lot of hate skins.

What I do know is what you have said and expressed in this thread in how you view these data center being built all around the country.

On a side note. I wonder where (country) all this data collecting equipment in these mega centers is coming from?

So you are in agreement that there's abandoned solar farms from hail. OK, provide one example of it then. If you can't provide an example, yes, it's wrong. How simple is it to say yep we found one?

As far as what countries are collecting data, it's every single one that has the means plus the Google's and Facebook's of the world that have been doing it for years and years. See Edward Snowden.

If you are asking about the manufacturer of the equipment mostly US, this is why we block sales of most advanced chips to China.

My last post in this thread.

I have not made one mention about anything solar related? Nothing.

So all these foreign AI companies investing billions here that the President totted their investment. They are using "mostly" USA made equipment in there centers. Yeah, I am sure we are on top of that. Another reason why there is this huge rush to get these maga center's up and running with little oversight and no regulation or authorization processes to get them up. Just build'em and build'em now.

You were responding directly to this silly hailstorm topic about solar panels. What foreign AI companies? Use names, not nebulous foreign AI companies.


I'll make it easy, I googled for you in advance. Just let me know which foreign AI company you are worried about.

Top 5 AI Hardware Companies:

NVIDIA (United States)
Advanced Micro Devices / AMD (United States)
Intel Corporation (United States)
TSMC (Taiwan)
Broadcom (United States)

Top 5 AI Software Companies:

OpenAI (United States)
Alphabet / Google (United States)
Anthropic (United States)
Meta (United States)
Microsoft (United States)

But thanks for proving my point once again, people assert they know something about something they have NO clue about.

I could easily come up with a long list of AI and data center concerns but out of ignorance people just make up shit.

It's difficult to list all the solar installations damaged or shut down due to weather related damage because most are privately owned and insured.

Most of the damage is kept quiet by the owners and insurance companies for privacy reasons and if you don't have access to the insurance industry data, well you just can't find the data.

Plus the industry is so young relative to most, that the long term data isn't there.

The little that I could find is below, doesn't look like the installations were closed permanent but many were closed for quite a while while damages were mitigated with insurance companies for coverage.

From Grok: (Yeah AI does search faster and compile data quickly)

Here is a compiled list of notable solar installations in the USA damaged by hail (or severe hail-related storms), based on public reports and news sources.

Hail is a leading cause of insured losses for solar PV systems (often >50% of weather-related claims despite being a small share of incidents), particularly in "Hail Alley" regions like Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, and the Great Plains. Most modern panels are tested to withstand ~1-inch hail at certain speeds, but larger hail (e.g., golf ball or baseball size, >2 inches) can cause significant cracking, shattering, microcracks, and performance loss.


Major Documented Cases

Midway Solar Project (Pecos County, Texas)
Date: May 2019
Details: ~400,000 panels damaged/shattered out of ~685,000 at this large utility-scale farm (~178 MW). Hail >2 inches.
Impact: Estimated losses $70–80 million. One of the most expensive early solar hail claims.

Fighting Jays Solar Farm (Fort Bend County / near Damon/Guy, Texas)
Date: March 15–16, 2024
Details: 350 MW facility (thousands of acres). Hit by golf ball to baseball-sized hail (reports of up to ~4 inches in the storm path). Thousands of panels destroyed/shattered; site operated at reduced (~half) capacity initially. Part of a broader severe hail event affecting multiple nearby farms.
Impact: Significant financial loss (estimates in the tens to hundreds of millions range in reports); highlighted hail risks and led to discussions on stow protocols (tilting panels to reduce exposure). Nearby projects (e.g., Cutlass I/II, Old 300) fared better with proper hail stow.

Scottsbluff Community Solar Array (Scottsbluff, Nebraska)
Date: June 23, 2023
Details: 4.375–5.2 MW community solar farm (~14,000 panels). Baseball-sized hail (moving at high speeds, 100–150 mph). Most panels shattered.
Impact: Major damage; repaired and back online by early 2024 with damaged panels recycled.


Other Mentions

Wheatfield, Indiana (Dunns Bridge Solar I/II or similar farms): Reports of severe damage in March 2026 from storms including a suspected tornado and large hail. Multiple large solar fields affected, with panels ripped out or destroyed. (Primarily tornado-driven but with hail component.)
Various smaller or less-publicized incidents occur in high-hail-risk states (TX, CO, NE, KS, etc.). Insurance data indicates frequent $5M–$80M+ claims annually, with hail posing risks to most U.S. solar sites over time.

Notes:

Many incidents are underreported publicly due to insurance sensitivities. Damage can include visible shattering plus hidden microcracks affecting long-term output.

Mitigation strategies (e.g., hail stow on trackers, more durable modules, insurance) are increasingly common. Some farms have withstood extreme events better than others.

Data comes from news, industry reports (e.g., kWh Analytics, insurance analyses), and public sources up to 2026. For comprehensive or real-time data, check sources like SEIA, NREL, or insurance risk assessments.


Thought I'd look up Dunns Bridge Solar status,

The most widely reported damage to the Dunns Bridge I and II solar facilities near Wheatfield, Indiana, came from a severe storm on March 10, 2026. Early reports mentioned hail, but subsequent assessments indicated that a tornado—reported as an EF-1 by some sources—was the primary cause of the destruction.

Reported Damage

Large sections of solar panels were shattered, torn from their mounts, and scattered across surrounding farmland.

Metal racking and support structures were twisted or collapsed.

Debris was spread over a wide area, requiring extensive cleanup and site security measures.

The affected facilities have a combined capacity of roughly 700 MW and contain more than 2.4 million solar panels.

Operational Impact

Owner/operator Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) reported that assessment and recovery teams were deployed after the storm.

The full extent of generation losses and repair timelines had not been finalized in the initial reports.

Industry observers estimated repair and replacement costs could be well into the hundreds of millions of dollars, although official damage-cost figures were still under evaluation.

As of mid-2026, there is no public indication that Dunns Bridge I and II have been fully restored to pre-storm capacity following the March 10, 2026 tornado damage. NIPSCO's public statements have focused on damage assessment, debris recovery, site security, and environmental monitoring rather than announcing completion of repairs or a return to full operation.

What is known

The storm caused significant damage to both the Dunns Bridge I and Dunns Bridge II solar facilities in Jasper and Starke Counties. NIPSCO stated immediately after the event that it was still assessing the extent of the damage and securing the affected areas.

Despite the damage, NIPSCO's broader renewable generation fleet remained operational, including other solar and wind projects that help supply power into the regional Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid.

Federal generation data available through early 2026 show that both Dunns Bridge facilities were producing substantial amounts of electricity before the March storm. Dunns Bridge I had annual generation of roughly 505 GWh, while Dunns Bridge II was producing at a rate of roughly 809 GWh annually.


Bottom line

By mid-2026:

Cleanup and repair efforts were underway.

The facilities were not reported as permanently out of service.

No official public figure for restored generating capacity or expected completion date had been released.

NIPSCO's overall power supply remained supported by its other renewable projects and remaining conventional generation resources.

There is a Facebook data center not far from me.
Huge electric poles to feed the center with power from a solar farm. The amount of water being used is crazy for a desert area.
.


You'd think Facebook could reuse the water, but no.
This below is from AI in regards to the Facebook data center.

..............................

Approximately 75 million gallons (283 megaliters) in 2023, and about 67 million gallons (252 megaliters) in 2024.Daily/peak allocations: The village has committed to supplying up to ~1.5 million gallons per day on average, with provisions for higher short-term use (e.g., up to 3 million gallons/day for limited periods during extreme heat). Full buildout allowances were previously higher but have been adjusted. Annual permitted/contracted amounts have been discussed in the 163 million gallon range, but actual usage is lower.

From Grok.

.

I play golf, I eat veggies, I also eat meat, and I surf the internet. I shower daily with a full flow shower head. It is not the data centers that are the devil, it is me. But what if I give my car a waterless bath? Does that buy me some redemtion?

They got me, I'm the next victim. Coming home from vacation one sprouted up just a mile from my house.

The horror I will have to drive by an ugly box in my neighborhood and I think they are kicking puppies in there, I heard it from Rhonda up the block.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
You were responding directly to this silly hailstorm topic about solar panels. What foreign AI companies? Use names, not nebulous foreign AI companies.


I'll make it easy, I googled for you in advance. Just let me know which foreign AI company you are worried about.

Top 5 AI Hardware Companies:

NVIDIA (United States)
Advanced Micro Devices / AMD (United States)
Intel Corporation (United States)
TSMC (Taiwan)
Broadcom (United States)

Top 5 AI Software Companies:

OpenAI (United States)
Alphabet / Google (United States)
Anthropic (United States)
Meta (United States)
Microsoft (United States)

But thanks for proving my point once again, people assert they know something about something they have NO clue about.

I could easily come up with a long list of AI and data center concerns but out of ignorance people just make up shit.

Huawei, DeepSeek, and SMIC are concerning to me regarding Chinese AI.

I doubt all these foreign AI companies are investing billions here. Huawei I believe is banned.

I have all sorts of concern for foreign AI, but also domestic. We need to maintain IT supremacy, but also AI is pretty dangerous in general.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
I doubt all these foreign AI companies are investing billions here. Huawei I believe is banned.

I have all sorts of concern for foreign AI, but also domestic. We need to maintain IT supremacy, but also AI is pretty dangerous in general.

oh sorry, investing here? that's just the CCP spending money to convince the ignorant that data centers are bad, we're witness to their efforts here in this thread.

As I have been saying.... Sen Tom Cotton urges DOJ to probe Chinese bid to 'kneecap' American AI

Not wanting AI data centers in the middle of farm land/major water users to move to the desert, is not the same as being against them, in general.

Heck, I drove through several towns just yesterday which would love to host data centers - and I'd love to see them there.

And, they are cheap/free sites, which have large power connections, and no one cares about non-potable water use in SC (and we have lots of near surface non-potable water)

The sites even have rail sidings/rail access.

But, it's more economical to build them on farm land/in the desert. (And, I think that's an issue of underpriced risk/corrupted officials underpricing assets, etc.)

That's the issue some of us (at least me), sees. If you grow up around old mill towns/the Rust Belt, you've seen lots of buildings which were very hard to repurpose, and how hard it is for a town to recover from that. And no one thought those were going to die, either. The textile mills had been going for a hundred years. "No one" went broke in oil, until they did, etc.

Admittedly, much of the challenge comes from the welfare stuff, etc. If that was gone, most of the problems in town could be forced to leave, and it could be rebuilt.

Everyone wants faster internet, more connection, they want to read their phone bill faster, get a internet recipe faster, etc.

Where do you think all of these things sit people? Where to you think your phone backs up? "The Cloud"? Your One Drive? Etc?

This is a data centers job guys. They are going to build them as cloud services increase. Yes. That includes AI components.

More likely, their purpose is to vaccumn up every data bit they can on the population to use against you. Like marketing, scamming, insurance rate/denial etc.
And you get to pay for it. As usual

OK stupid question time…

I’m assuming that all the water is used for some sort of cooling loop. If so, why can’t the water be reused or at the very least returned to its source.

Does anyone actually know how all these millions of gallons of water are being used and where it all goes?

quote:

Originally posted by myrottiety:
Everyone wants faster internet, more connection, they want to read their phone bill faster, get a internet recipe faster, etc.

Where do you think all of these things sit people? Where to you think your phone backs up? "The Cloud"? Your One Drive? Etc?

This is a data centers job guys. They are going to build them as cloud services increase. Yes. That includes AI components.

I don't think all these huge data centers are needed for phone back up or cloud, the stuff you and I use, their necessity is driven by AI which requires massive processing power.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
OK stupid question time…

I’m assuming that all the water is used for some sort of cooling loop. If so, why can’t the water be reused or at the very least returned to its source.

Does anyone actually know how all these millions of gallons of water are being used and where it all goes?

It goes in the air in the form of steam. The water (the amount a small city uses just for 1 data center), taken from municipal sources or rivers is evaporated in the cooling process. They can use a closed loop system that uses maybe 1/3 the amount but that's still a lot of water and these are less efficient, more complex, and more expensive.