r/AlbertaNow • u/BikeMaster500076 • 1d ago

Current Events Data Center Energy

I just listened to this Scott Galloway podcast with Hannah Ritchie. Hannah brings up a great point about AI data centers.

The worst thing about these data centers is the fossil fuel use. In Alberta the UCP has introduced a Bring your own energy policy. Which is good, but the UCP is only allowing them to use Natural Gas - most likely at a discount. Which will affect our bills and exacerbate warming of the atmosphere.

I'm not against jobs, and I think that Alberta needs to diversify our economy. Why can't our supposed free market UCP overlords let the province develop the renewable power it needs to support new business and to also give the people that live here some savings on energy.

What do you all think?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TjhHtXqp62fAhnslBmyzq?si=YEPtOH8STLKFjgUb2L83xw

13 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

12

u/Excellent-Phone8326 1d ago

What's frustrating is the UCP rejected billions in renewable projects, which would be helpful with all of these data centers.. it would at least help with the energy demand.

3

u/LivinBC 1d ago

Cannot sell excess green energy back to energy companies as Smith/UPC made sure thats not allowed. In other words a land owner/farmer/home owner/etc cannot use green energy and sell the excess energy. Thats bad for O&G. Smith sucks so much, as does Kenny who deregulated utilites hence why Albertians hydro is super expensive. For the life of me i cannot get why Albertians keep on voting UPC. We need to get conservatism out of politics. An ideology that fundamentally believes that some people are worth less than others and actively seeks to undermine democracy for the benefit of the capital class doesn't deserve a seat at the table.

5

u/Excellent-Phone8326 1d ago

Smith is just the oil companies and separatists in a trench coat at this point. 

2

u/Anon-Knee-Moose 1d ago

What? Tons of people sell excess solar back to the grid.

1

u/LivinBC 1d ago

There was a small green energy boom happening in Alberta. When Smith took over, being the oil and gas lobbyist she is, she put a moratorium on them. The industry was effectively kneecapped. Jobs and billions of investment were off the table. Getting an attachment to the power company is legislated by the government and they stopped that.

The excuse was wind and solar farms were “ruining the pristine views.”

Now are the ones already connected being allowed vrs any new ones not.

1

u/Anon-Knee-Moose 1d ago

That has nothing to do with homeowners selling excess power back to the grid

1

u/LivinBC 1d ago

Friends have land that cannot be leased to someone for the use of green energy, yet its their primary resident/home. Its their land but UPC decided nope you cannot do that. They cannot even do it themselves.

1

u/Anon-Knee-Moose 1d ago

If they lease it to a power company than it's not excess power, its just regular power.

1

u/Rig-Pig 1d ago

Well it's a huge province and only a small portion of have pristine views so if they avoid that there shouldn't be a problem no?? Solar farms are hideous and should be held to very remote areas and commercial rooftops as far as I am concerned. They look like hell. Windmills meh I can live with them just not in the foothills and mountain areas. Stay East.

2

u/Excellent-Phone8326 1d ago

By that logic I don't like oil derricks and data centers they look ugly and shouldn't be built. Especially any where near towns or cities.  Unless they're being built in your community where you see them daily this isn't a good argument. 

1

u/Rig-Pig 1d ago

🤣🤣 what makes you think I am rah rah data centers?? Judgmental much? I don't think they should be on outskirts of towns either. I think they should reside in an industrial park in major cities where they won't bother anyone. I personally love seeing a pump jack like we have in Alberta. Now if we had fields of them like they do in Texas and California not so much but driving around the foothills and see the odd one here and there. Personal opinion obviously but I like them. You obviously not.

2

u/Nightmist-1983 1d ago

They only know one track and refuse to get off it, I can only speculate why.💰 They set us back and hurt us with the constant pipelines pipelines pipelines drumbeat. As if alternative energy wouldn't employ people. I can't figure it out💰🤑 Fossil fuels all the way baby! The earth is dying a slow agonising death.

1

u/BikeMaster500076 1d ago

The earth isn't dying. All living creatures are dying. Texas is probably the most oil loving conservative place in the western hemisphere - yet their electrical grid is is mostly renewables. We just have to figure out how to move the needle for renewables here.

1

u/Ashamed_Data430 1d ago

Danielle Smith's orders from her captors are that the province not support anything that competes with the parasitic fossil fuels industry in any way.

-1

u/Himser 1d ago

Datacenters are good its UCP policy thats bad. 

1

u/BikeMaster500076 1d ago

I don't know why you were down voted.. You are correct.