[-]

Rugermedic@reddit

I’ve really been thinking a lot about power and potential blackouts. I live in the desert, so it’s almost essential that I have a backup form of AC. I think a small window AC, small propane generator, and a solar setup might be the least expensive and most bang for buck option. If I could keep a small refrigerator running, and a window AC in a small room, I think I could keep my family and pets relatively happy during a long outage. But after a week, we would have to leave, too much fuel would be required.

[-]

Blueporch@reddit

They make those standby generators that run off the natural gas line, if you have gas service to your house already.

[-]

bikumz@reddit

I don’t think this grid is ready for a hot summer

[-]

TeamRedundancyTeam@reddit

I'm very fearful of this. I live in a very very humid area that gets bad heat. We had like 90 degree weather with crazy high humidity most of last summer. If the power goes out people will die. I'll not die but I'll be fucking miserable.

I can't imagine the amount of violence that will cause, people get mad when they're hot and uncomfortable.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

I used to think that I could survive some bad heat as long as I had shade and water... and then I experienced Wet Bulb heat. That shit is brutal.

[-]

AntiBoATX@reddit

This is why I moved north, from the south, and people look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them I’m one of the first climate change migrants. There will be trickles, then eventually a deluge. When the power goes out and old and fat people die, and generators run out of fuel, and it devolves (in a 72-96 hr period) to mad max, people will migrate

[-]

ButtBread98@reddit

I live in an area that is relatively safe from climate change, I live right on Lake Erie and it seems to protect us from most big storms.

[-]

Any_Needleworker_273@reddit

You're not alone. It wasn't the main reason I moved to the northeast from the mid-Atlantic, but it was a strong consideration. And the more I see, the more I can't see myself moving anywhere further south.

[-]

Bradparsley25@reddit

I have a coworker with a huge hardon for moving to Florida from Mass.

He can’t specify why or how, or any sort of plan… but he’s got a wife and 3 kids, and he’s 22 years old.

We’ve tried so hard to talk him out of it or at least waiting a few years, but he’s actively trying to get his house sold and hasn’t even found somewhere to exist down there yet.

Between the increasing heat, more severe hurricanes, rising sea levels, issues with getting insurance coming… I don’t think I’d move any further south than PA or Maryland

[-]

Last_Strike_8901@reddit

Ask him if he knows where all the oranges went. In less than a 3 year period and where we get them now. In fact have him call an orange farmer.

[-]

snifflypeaches@reddit

Tell him to read the Light Pirate! It’s so good. Describes the unfolding climate nightmare in Florida through the eyes of a family that stays there.

[-]

cyanescens_burn@reddit

Something tells me the 22 year old with three kids doesn’t have a lot of time or energy to read books. I’d say this is more of a summarize if for your buddy situations.

Unless he’s a deadbeat and has loads of free time. But those types don’t usually strike me as bookish.

[-]

BigJSunshine@reddit

Non fiction or fiction?

[-]

4Yk9gop@reddit

I have a neighbor that move for zone 5 USA to southern Florida last year. Within a month of moving their home in Florida got rocked by a hurricane. Idk man, maybe not the best choice for your family.

[-]

BigJSunshine@reddit

Three kids and only 22. This is not a serious person. This is a person who makes TERRIBLE life choices

[-]

xSaRgED@reddit

Wife and three kids at 22 in Massachusetts?

Dawg, talk about getting handed opportunities and messing it all up.

[-]

Bradparsley25@reddit

House sold to him at like 1/3rd market value by his parents AND his dad owns a business that he works at on the weekends for like $2k a month extra…

Giving all that up for swampy stinky alligatory hurricany methville, FL

[-]

AirborneGeek@reddit

I don't want to drag this dude that I obviously do not know all THAT much, but, y'all, I do not miss my decision-making skills when I was 22.

[-]

Serious_Yard4262@reddit

I'm in the great lakes region and my husband has gotten a couple of job opportunities that would have taken us either to Denver or Georgia. It was a decent raise, but I said absolutely not. Between our very mixed family make up, us not being local to the area, and climate change (the main reason) it wasn't worth it to me.

[-]

NeonSwank@reddit

Denver would be great if you can afford

Do not move to Georgia or anywhere in the southeast

Im trying everything possible to get the hell out, between the heat, humidity, lack of jobs and state government’s that actively hate their citizens, its not worth it.

Sure, its cheap to live here, but thats it.

If it weren’t for most of our family being in the southeast/east coast we would have moved years ago.

[-]

relianceschool@reddit (OP)

Denver gets very hot in the summers, and long-term water concerns are real. It's not an immediate issue, but even on a 10-year horizon I would be hesitant to commit to Colorado.

[-]

Lyogi88@reddit

I live in the Midwest and will never move for this reason .

[-]

Jeffformayor@reddit

The Omadome will save me

[-]

SmashSE1@reddit

I kept saying that as well after moving to MI, but if the Gulfstream stops and we enter an ice age... maybe this isn't the best. Still hoping thats 25 years out though

[-]

MentalDisintegrat1on@reddit

I have done death valley heat, Miami heat, Vegas and up here and I gotta say fuck wet heat it's like being coated in boiling water mixed with sweat.

You go outside and in 10 minutes you want to go take another shower.

Dry heat though destroys my skin faster.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

Accurate.

[-]

miamibfly@reddit

Our avatars are twins

[-]

poplada@reddit

If you don’t mind saying, where were you and what was your experience? That situation terrifies me but I don’t live in a high risk area. I don’t think enough people realize what occurs with a wet bulb event.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

Mid-south US and you just can't get cooled off because you can't sweat. Fans just feel hot since your skin is essentially dry. AC and ice packs are really the only way.

[-]

hera-fawcett@reddit

midwest also gets some shit wet bulb heat too. shits too humid, it clings to u, like a tick. its so heavy and heady and it presses down on u.

i started carrying small towels that i can pour some water on, wring, and use to cool down. also got a portable usb fan.

both of them really saved my ass last yr. probably will again this yr too.

[-]

MrD3a7h@reddit

I'm going to grab a power station and some (more) USB-powered fans.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

If you have battery operated power tools, look for fans with your battery. Bonus - find a misting fan.

[-]

MrD3a7h@reddit

That is an excellent shout on the tool battery. Will do.

[-]

bigvicproton@reddit

And you can get adapters for most tool batteries to plug in USB fans and phones. Just don't run them down to nothing.

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ignoreme010101@reddit

phones. Just don't run them down to nothing.

?

[-]

bigvicproton@reddit

Some batteries with an aftermarket adapter might actually run down to zero charging say a phone. The tool would have told it to stop. You never want lithium batteries to get that low.

[-]

ignoreme010101@reddit

are you 100% on that? I have tinkered with ryobi units and the 'brains'/controls are in the battery, not the tool. The tool just sucks juice lol

[-]

bigvicproton@reddit

It depends on the batteries. I have DeWalt 20 volt and you can drain them to dead.

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Ok_Profile175@reddit

Just a heads up, in true wet bulb situations, fans don't make a difference because the air is too saturated to make you sweat. You need an actual way to cool/dehumidify the air. I'd recommend a small portable AC unit that you can run off of a battery. There are some options for motor homes that are not too energy hungry.

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MrD3a7h@reddit

In my particular situation, I'm going to be in an already cool basement. Excellent advice for others, though.

[-]

Ok_Profile175@reddit

That's a great place to be! Wish my house had a basement. Stay safe out there!

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symplton@reddit

Check the Goodwill! Found a Ryobi boom box for less than $20 that runs on & charges batteries.

[-]

wowmomcooldad@reddit

We had near 90 in VA last month… what if it does a 180 and snows in August lol. Things ain’t right

[-]

Worshipme988@reddit

We really need to cut FL off, its a natsec issue atp. That’ll breed wayyy more FL men than containable…

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ignoreme010101@reddit

the insurance problem.....I cannot shed this lingering fear that if(when) SHTF that FL insurance, plus social security, will get dropped in short order as prelude to regional collapse

[-]

First_Driver_8492@reddit

Everything according to plan.

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davidm2232@reddit

It doesn't even get that hot in my area but one of my most important preps is a generator and several sources of a/c.

[-]

999millionIQ@reddit

Dont wear that as a proud title - when that happens us northerners are going to HATE you guys.

[-]

existing_for_fun@reddit

My AC went out last summer (June / July) and I'm in NC.

It was reaching 94 inside during the day and 86 at night. At like 3 am.

It was brutal. The apartment manager gave us a portable unit for 1 room. It took 3 weeks go get the AC repaired and it was hell.

[-]

bikumz@reddit

Important to take note where historically your area has made “cool off zones” some areas may call them “cool off shelters” or other names. Mine usually does community centers or VFWs, places with room to hold people and can set up backup power.

Search up terms you may think fit that idea on your city/county/parish Facebook and you’ll probably find something to know ahead of time where you can head, but these zones can change so may be different year to year. Here they just have always been the same place with additional locations each year it seems.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

~~Brat~~ Dark summer.

[-]

Strange-Luck-5786@reddit

summer of heat deaths

[-]

kingtacticool@reddit

"Wet bulb" is about to enter the Amicam lexicanum

[-]

Ok-Row-6088@reddit

This is why I like Reddit, I had never heard this term before just looked it up and oh my God that's why last summer sucked so bad. 70 to 80% humidity for two weeks straight for us. It was miserable.

[-]

Strange-Luck-5786@reddit

Im in Louisiana. This is normal

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ImSobored_5280@reddit

Being in Louisiana is not normal…

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Average_Random_Bitch@reddit

It's not. I was there myself for a period of years for a specific reason. And then got the hell out.

During that time, a major hurricane hit, and it was around 114° for two+ weeks and no power.

Luckily I still had water. Learned later half our town didn't. I'd shower myself and my poor cat off in the cold water and lay down on some towels, naked, and cry when i had the energy. It was a hell I could not escape. I thought I would lose my mind before that was all done with.

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ImSobored_5280@reddit

Damn 😳….glad you made it out alive 🫶

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Strange-Luck-5786@reddit

Haha. Stuck in the chuck we say around here

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ImSobored_5280@reddit

….ive heard that…coonass gonna coonass 😂👌🫶

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keinezeit44@reddit

Being in Louisiana, you might be interested in this: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/04/new-orleans-sea-levels-relocation-climate-crisis

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Strange-Luck-5786@reddit

Yea I saw that. I'm in the opposite side of hell

[-]

kingtacticool@reddit

Wet bulb is deadly. If its 80-90% humidity and over 100 degrees humans can die. I live in Florida and last summer we lost power for 10+ hours and it started to get hard to breath after a few hours.

When the next hurricane hits and people dont have ac for an extended period of time a lot of old people are going to die.

[-]

Prior-Win-4729@reddit

South Carolina will be in the 90s with 90-100% humidity July-August. At least the amphibians like it.

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Fievels_good_trouble@reddit

And they will probably mostly say it mockingly because “wet bulb is just like global warmin, it’s a gay libtard conspiracy that isn’t real because the anointed one said so.” This is the ship they’ve tied themselves to the mast of.

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Leopold_Porkstacker@reddit

More like a rope being dragged behind the ship they are hanging on to.

[-]

kingtacticool@reddit

When the single event casualties start hitting six digits thy won't be able to sweep it under the rug of rhetoric

[-]

Fievels_good_trouble@reddit

They did with Covid. They are with genocides. If nothing else, conservatives are unrivaled at what they are willing to sweep under the rug.

[-]

AirborneGeek@reddit

My personal dark silver lining about this is maybe it will get everyone to finally start speaking in terms of dew point instead of relative humidity.

[-]

fragrant-final-973@reddit

There is just no reprieve from that.

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Heeeeyyouguuuuys@reddit

So a European summer?

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Possible_Miss@reddit

Hot Grid Summer

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IM_INSIDE_YOUR_HOUSE@reddit

It is not, and it's gonna be painfully apparent when summer comes swinging soon.

[-]

EastTyne1191@reddit

And it's definitely looking like a very hot summer. We're having unseasonably warm weather here in Washington already and it's not even mid May yet.

[-]

Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

I’d bet my life savings that we’re in for load shedding this summer to make sure AI data centers have uninterrupted power, and everyone will probably be fine with it because the average American has been completely brainwashed into being pro-AI

[-]

Sorry_End3401@reddit

I think this will be something a lot of people come together on. If it’s a data center or us, well I choose us. And some folks went ahead and started fires at the data centers to welcome them thoroughly to their neighborhoods

[-]

Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

I actually have my doubts. The sad truth is most Americans are pro-AI and full well probably would choose the data centers

[-]

PuzzleheadedGroup624@reddit

Take incidents like these and thrown in a history of accelerationists taking advantage of the situation and targeting substations, we may very will be in for an interesting summer.

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/indy-city-county-councilors-says-home-shot-up-no-data-centers-sign-left-behind-northeast-side-ron-gibson/531-6591c59a-1fbb-4a39-a1f4-840431de94cf#

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impermissibility@reddit

Yeah, polling doesn't support that. People hate AI, even people who use it all the time.

[-]

cats_catz_kats_katz@reddit

It’s ready for a hot girl summer

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Bikesexualmedic@reddit

Hot grid summer 💅💥

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UnfairSpecialist3079@reddit

Definitely not in ERCOT

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SquirrelyMcNutz@reddit

If you have the opportunity, move somewhere that you can have a basement available. Those things are a godsend in heat waves. They tend to stay much more consistent temp-wise in both heat and cold. With mine, I can literally feel the location where the air changes temp, when I walk down the stairs.

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hermitsociety@reddit

By me basements just flood, so you end up with a different problem. But you’re right, they stay cool. I really want an earthship style house with a berm over and around it one day, I think they seem great for climate change.

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relianceschool@reddit (OP)

Flooding is definitely an issue, especially when it leads to mold. I would leave my basement unfinished (no carpet/insulation to trap moisture) so it's easier to scrub down after a flood, and keep everything important elevated on shelves. I think the tradeoff of surviving a heat wave is worthwhile.

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hermitsociety@reddit

Yeah, they’re tricky. I like the idea and the self-contained factor, though. When I lived in the EU sometimes you’d see old canal side buildings that were basically made to be flooded. I think as long as you planned for it and weren’t storing stuff in the basement, it could work and you’re right that it’s better than dying from heat.

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Historical_Course587@reddit

They seem nifty, but building homes into the sides of hills/mountains works just fine too. If it's insulated and the downstairs is a stable 55-60 degrees then nobody is gonna die when the power goes out. Hot or cold.

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funke75@reddit

agreed, those are my ideal house style as well. incorporate an earthtubing system for additional cooling and you'd be set for most weather.

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ImDoneWithTheBS@reddit

Ironically the hottest places, do not have basements generally

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tacobellgittcard@reddit

That’s where I go when it gets hot. We don’t have AC so going into the basement is like a 10 degree difference

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CouldBeLessDepressed@reddit

"need to be addressed through immediate industry action."

Ah ha... Well, it was a nice power grid while we had it I guess.

[-]

potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

Why isn't the US building solar grids like everywhere else in the world? The complete lack of planning to support the extra energy use by data centers really pisses me off.

[-]

shotgunwizard@reddit

We have so many parking lots...

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2quickdraw@reddit

And all of them could be roofed with solar. Especially now that nobody can afford the gas to drive their cars.

[-]

IM_INSIDE_YOUR_HOUSE@reddit

Because the U.S. exists in a stupid loop of 4 year election cycles, and everything every leader does is shortsighted because they're just focused on voters for the next election cycle. As such, long term planning seems to fly out the window if it's anything that may be even the slightest bit uncomfortable in the short term but heavily beneficial in the long term.

[-]

potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

Maybe it's time for a woman to be in charge. We seem to be better at long term planning, no offense! /s

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WhatIsHerJob-TABLES@reddit

Because solar is “woke” to a lot of people in this country for some dumb fucking reason.

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davidm2232@reddit

It's not a dumb reason. It is because they are forced on us with regulation rather than just letting people decide if they are a good idea or not. I'm looking at you, California

[-]

Careful_Ad8933@reddit

This is the same reason my 6-year-old grandson pitches a fit when I require him to wash his hands after school. He gets sick a lot, understands the basics of germ transfer, but hates being told what to do.

[-]

davidm2232@reddit

Exactly. If people understand the consequences and risks, let them make their own decisions. I also don't wash my hands as often as I should. If I get sick, I get sick.

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The_Dirty_Carl@reddit

Why aren't solar panels a good idea?

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davidm2232@reddit

They are a great idea. But when you mandate something, it just drives people away

[-]

The_Dirty_Carl@reddit

Are you referring to something specific? I guess I don't know what a solar mandate would look like.

[-]

davidm2232@reddit

All new construction homes are required to have solar panels in California

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The_Dirty_Carl@reddit

Ah gotcha, I had no idea.

That's crazy, and this is coming from someone with panels on their house.

[-]

davidm2232@reddit

Agreed. I'm a big solar advocate. I've been running some degree of off grid solar for 20 years since I was a kid. But as soon as you put a mandate on it, I get concerned

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Rough-Age6546@reddit

If you don’t put a mandate on it people act like idiots or do the wrong thing. Mandates are necessary for social cohesion and optimization

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davidm2232@reddit

If it's so great, why does it need a mandate?

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Rough-Age6546@reddit

If you don’t mandate things people act like a bunch of retards so yes things need to be mandated

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Rooooben@reddit

Woke has nothing to do with it. There are problems with the regulation where they stopped mandating power surplus to be managed by the utilities, and did not require the homes to have batteries, which should store the excess power and allow the extra $10k cost to be absorbed by the lack of electric bills.

So it’s how, but calling solar power woke is dumb because our bodies are solar powered, why is burning oil the only conservative-approved power source?

[-]

davidm2232@reddit

To me, 'woke' means regulated in name of the greater good. That may not be everyone's definition.

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Rooooben@reddit

So like seatbelt mandates are woke, and the requirement to carry insurance, woke.

Got it.

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davidm2232@reddit

Exactly

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Rooooben@reddit

Are voting ID laws woke too? Regulations in the name of the greater good?

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davidm2232@reddit

I say yes. Unnecessary regulation

[-]

Rough-Age6546@reddit

You’re brain dead

[-]

avid-shrug@reddit

Do you know what an externality is?

[-]

davidm2232@reddit

I did not. Just skimmed the Wikipedia article

[-]

avid-shrug@reddit

Regulations are sometimes needed because of externalities. Someone dumping waste in a river harms people downstream without bearing the full cost themselves - an externality. Carbon emissions similarly require regulation because people benefit from burning fossil fuels and bear a fraction of its costs.

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davidm2232@reddit

Isn't that the definition of 'woke' . You are 'awake' to all the effects of your actions.

[-]

johnnyringo1985@reddit

Bruh, red states have more renewables than blue states. It’s not even close.

[-]

MrD3a7h@reddit

The ruling ~~sports team~~ political party has decided that they only support fossil fuels. Anything else is unmanly.

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Special-Ad-8255@reddit

Europe has been building photovoltaic installations and feeding them into the grid since the 1980s.

Since then, all sorts of administrations have come and gone in the US government, so why blame the current one for what the previous ones should have started?

[-]

johnnyringo1985@reddit

Dude, red states have so much more renewable energy production than blue states.

[-]

ignoreme010101@reddit

while at the same time seeing trump as masculine

make it make sense

[-]

ujiuxle@reddit

Just preying on insecure men like vultures

[-]

Quinoawithrice@reddit

Because the US refuses to actually address problems.

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iridescent-shimmer@reddit

The one good thing is that data centers are going to have to build energy infrastructure, so they may end up saving our damn grid (considering politicians haven't wanted to raise taxes to invest in the grid for decades now.)

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redhat6161@reddit

Trump admin doesn’t like renewables so they’ve made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, in some cases, to build.

Source: work at a renewable energy IPP company.

[-]

johnnyringo1985@reddit

Utility scale solar increased by 34% in 2025 over 2024. What are you talking about?

[-]

redhat6161@reddit

Those were already NTP before his policies took effect. What are you talking about?

[-]

johnnyringo1985@reddit

I’m talking about the 40+ GW of utility-scale solar coming online in 2026, a 60% increase over 2025.

[-]

potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

So diapers good, but renewables bad. /s Maybe it's just me (also /), but I'm tired of morons being in charge of important stuff that affects all of us on this planet.

[-]

johnnyringo1985@reddit

Red states ironically have more renewables than blue states. It’s a solar bonanza here.

[-]

ignoreme010101@reddit

Why isn't the US building solar grids like everywhere else in the world? The complete lack of planning to support the extra energy use by data centers really pisses me off.

between solar/batteries, and microprocessors, just seems there's these incredibly obvious low hanging fruit that both stimulate the economy as well as providing national security benefits (and environmental benefits) But they're not economically viable in the way our system works. Very sad I mean you could do massive boosts to middle class by such simple moves

[-]

Sorry_End3401@reddit

Also, all wind farms have had their construction hauled for them. Guess why and who?

[-]

Numb_Sea@reddit

Nuclear is seeing a big push though

[-]

Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit

Where do people get this bizarre idea?

No, it isn’t.

The US is building a fuck ton of new renewable capacity, and replacing the occasional fossil fuel plant being decommissioned with a CCGT gas plant, but that’s about it.

[-]

Numb_Sea@reddit

We're also quadrupling nuclear capacity by 2050

[-]

Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit

You’re smoking something seriously fucked up if you think that has any remote chance of actually happening.

We can’t even work on more than a handful of reactors at a time. We literally don’t have the domestic workforce able to work on more than a few at once. And it takes 20-ish years to complete each one.

We aren’t even on track to replace the ones that will be decommissioned by 2050.

[-]

Ok-Row-6088@reddit

Go look up the billions of dollars the administration is paying to NOT build wind turbines. The farmer up the road from me purchased a number of solar panels to run his orchard, and then all the tax incentives he was counting on to help offset the cost were repealed.

[-]

Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit

Go look up the billions of dollars the administration is paying to NOT build wind turbines.

Yes. He is an idiot.

Despite that, 89% of new generating capacity installed in the US is some variety of renewable.

Most of his fuckery only works on federal leases, which isn’t where most renewable power gets built, but offshore wind has to be.

He’s trying to halt wind turbines on private land too, but to courts will shut him down on that as they have done before.

[-]

potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

Anything is better than burning fossil fuels.

[-]

CAredditBoss@reddit

Begrudgingly, yes!

[-]

turtleduck@reddit

have you seen our government lmao

[-]

Ecliphon@reddit

They are where I am. They want to build an 800 acre solar plant for the data center they also want. Neither has much support with the public.

[-]

2feetandathrowaway@reddit

The oil lobby

[-]

Positive_Stick2115@reddit

Solar and wind grids are what blacked out Spain and Portugal a little while ago. Too many little contributors makes the frequency of the grid unstable. It's like two people dancing together versus 30. Nobody knows who's in charge. We didn't even know it was a problem until it was.

[-]

Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit

Solar and wind grids are what blacked out Spain and Portugal a little while ago.

From the recent ENTSO-E report on it:

the blackout resulted from a combination of many interacting factors, including oscillations, gaps in voltage and reactive power control, differences in voltage regulation practices, rapid output reductions and generator disconnections in Spain, and uneven stabilisation capabilities. These factors led to fast increases of voltage and cascading generation disconnections in Spain, resulting in the blackout...

At the press briefing, the Chair of the ENTSO-E Board of Directors, stated: "The problem is not renewable energy, but voltage control, regardless of the type of generation".

The way renewables were involved was:

A key factor was that renewable energy power plants were set to follow a fixed-power-control mode. In this configuration, units operating in fixed‑power‑factor mode injected a proportional and rapid reactive‑power ramp, and therefore a corresponding voltage ramp, into the system whenever a fast active‑power change occurred, such as during a schedule adjustment.

Meaning that it was a configuration issue with the grid, not something they couldn’t have handled.

[-]

Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit

The US is building a lot of solar capacity. Nearly all net new capacity in the US is some variety of renewables.

[-]

Romano16@reddit

Because the U.S. government is at the service of corporations and defense contractors. Not the average joe.

Trump’s 2nd Inauguration had billionaires there like the equivalent of medieval court in Europe for some Monarchy. .

[-]

bikumz@reddit

Solar doesn’t generate the money “AI” does (at least not in theory with the ai boom). So where a farmer may get a reasonable offer to buy their property for solar, a data center might make an above reasonable offer to win a farmer over and sell a property.

[-]

yourmomdotbiz@reddit

I honestly feel like we’re getting closer to the Mr burns blocking the sun arc of the timeline

[-]

Wonderful-View-6366@reddit

Welcome to the tech bro economy

[-]

potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

Thanks, I hate it.

[-]

Wonderful-View-6366@reddit

Me too

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No_Possible_7108@reddit

You shut your woke mouth you dang commie /s

Seriously tho, that's the reason

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BigJSunshine@reddit

Fuuuck. I have sporadically studied solar powered generators/batteries, but I am no where close to making an informed decision.

The closest I get is to buy 2-3 anker solar set ups: one for fridge, one for computing/internet and one for lights.

Shit

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2quickdraw@reddit

I bought two Anker Solix F3800+ units on sale with eight bifacial solar panels and ground mounts to set them up last year so that I could get the federal tax credit. It cost me just over $9K. I didn't want the panels on my brand new roof, or the potential for an increase in insurance due to risk of fire. We have tested the units and each can run a 25cf refrigerator for 24 hours on a full charge. We have smaller batteries to run fans or heating pads plus computers and charge phones. I can also run a window AC but we haven't tested run time yet, because it would be dependent on outside temperature. Once I get it all set up I can figure out if I need more panels and or another battery. I was just going for basic necessary usage to keep my fridges and freezers going. I have other sources of lighting and other methods for cooking and heating.

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relianceschool@reddit (OP)

Yup, this is the next big investment I'll be making. Here in CO we've been getting our power shut off during windstorms (to prevent downed lines from starting fires, as our utility monopoly doesn't want to invest in burying them), and keeping my food from spoiling is a primary concern.

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funke75@reddit

lighting has some interesting options now days. not only can you get solar lanterns, but there are some new really cool led lightbulbs that work as backup lights. I got a 6 pack from costco and they basically swap out for the LEDs lightbulbs you use in normal lamps. then need 10 hours of run time to fully charge but can last up to 8 additional hours on their internal battery and automatically switch to battery powered if the power goes out. I set up at least a 1 lamp with one in each of our rooms, that way in case we start seeing regular black outs we should have some built in lighting options.

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SambaPapi1@reddit

New law: data centers must run on their own sustainably generated power.

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Pyratelife4me@reddit

And reuse their own water.

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tennezzee88@reddit

that's inherent in the concept, your comment is redundant

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jjohnisme@reddit

Eh... Only it isn't?

While the data centers themselves have a closed loop cooling system (most of them), they burn off water via steam turbines to generate power, and that's not to mention the effluent gross water that some systems generate...

Here in my state, legislators hide behind the "closed loop" thing, and don't acknowledge all of the light, noise, air, and water pollution that data centers generate because we can't be assed to zone them properly.

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Visible_Car6661@reddit

Ur moms redundant

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PlasticEvening@reddit

As well as closed loop water.

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iridescent-shimmer@reddit

This is just how they work now so at least that's basically done going forward.

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iridescent-shimmer@reddit

It's absolutely possible to mandate this. People need to get involved NOW to demand it through the right legal channels.

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tennezzee88@reddit

sambapapi1 didn't kill himself

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SookiSwann@reddit

Bridge, divert all power to ChatGPT!

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Akiraooo@reddit

The issues is how will the employees know to divert all power to ChatGPT if ChatGPT is down? /sarcasm

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Historical_Course587@reddit

This is what I'm waiting to see. The first time ChatGPT goes down, it demonstates the value and need for redundancy that large LLMs can't provide.

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potatoes_arrrr_life@reddit

But what about the EBITDA! /s

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Positive_Stick2115@reddit

They project 9-17% of all power produced in the US to be consumed by data centers by the end did the decade (4 years)?

...holy shit...

I have my own opinions on the contribution of current levels of CO2 to global warming, but these new power plants are going to be dumping massive quantities of hot water into the oceans after they've cooled the equipment. Same with data mining and increased shipping. I don't see how this extra generated heat being trapped in our oceans isn't going to affect the weather...

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consultingcutie@reddit

Data centers don't return the water. The water goes away and doesn't come back.

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mokunuimoo@reddit

Do they pump it outside the environment?

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Historical_Course587@reddit

Well they want to, but the pump's front fell off

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Cardboard derivative data centers.

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ImSobored_5280@reddit

Pretty its a closed loop system…

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Cautious_Advantage47@reddit

I mean, it’s not drinkable water but the materials they use to cool the systems still exist. The water is just completely contaminated and heated up.

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pandershrek@reddit

Most places do not return hot water to the ocean. Not that it alleviates the fears of impact.

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Where exactly do you think river water ends up...?

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CrashingAtom@reddit

80% of the water used to cool data centers is vaporized, because they aerosolize the water first. So learn your stuff, man.

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Thermal energy doesn't just disappear even in evaporated water. Conservation of energy, numbnuts

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BeastBeef@reddit

Solar energy captures energy that would otherwise become heat, or be reflected away, it’s not obvious what the fractions would be

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Pretty fucking obvious it's less than fossil fuels

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BeastBeef@reddit

What?

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Small fraction less than big fraction

It's not that complicated

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CrashingAtom@reddit

Your mutha.

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Peninj@reddit

I like how everyone in here is an asshole. That’s how you know this is a real prepper community.

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WhatIsHerJob-TABLES@reddit

I want to join in on the assholery but i don’t know enough about this topic to write something convincing! Sooooo, umm, fuck you, buddy! Lolol

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impermissibility@reddit

Technically correct contribution. The best kind.

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chaossensuit@reddit

I also want to join in on the assholery. I don’t know enough about the subject matter. Fuck all yall! Love ya.

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Peninj@reddit

Yeah. Fuxk you too!!! Happy to meet you.

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NecessaryMorning5636@reddit

Fuck me too. Happy to meet you all

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Comfortable_Goal9110@reddit

me neither, PS go fuck yourself!

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dylanx300@reddit

The guy you replied to isn’t wrong from a scientific perspective, all of that heat ends up in the atmosphere one way or another.

But the whole thread is asinine because the heat data centers make is negligible compared to the emissions they are responsible for (mainly due to their energy usage, as more than half of the electricity generated in the US comes from burning gas and coal).

You’ve probably noticed that climate scientists don’t worry about the hot air coming off of your radiator, they worry about the emissions coming out of your tailpipe. That’s because those emissions are the real source of the problem. The heat is negligible compared to the impact of the greenhouse emissions.

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Agreed, I only shifted to the water topic after others were tunnel visioned on that. Emissions are by far the main issue, but local water and energy strains are a problem as well.

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dylanx300@reddit

https://fortune.com/2026/04/01/ai-data-centers-heat-island-hyperscalers/

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Or this community is people fed up with stupid people defending blatantly incorrect, blatantly evil actions.

I sure am.

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Peninj@reddit

I upvoted everyone. But if you’re tired of stupid people you should log off the internet and touch some grass as they say.

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Hate to tell you, but there's just as many stupid people out there touching grass.

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Peninj@reddit

Yeah. But they are less confident and more often keep their mouth shut unlike on the internet.

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

Are you butthurt about water having a high specific heat or something? I'm confident because it's well-understood science that's taught at a middle school level 😂

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CrashingAtom@reddit

Sorry…you think vaporized water is the same as water pouring into the ground? My god, the naïveté is just shocking. Conservative of energy. 😂I wonder how deserts form when all energy is always returned in its perfect form with no loss. No loss since entropy isn’t a thing. 😆

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WarrantinaVoid@reddit

It's actually far worse, are you familiar with the high specific heat of water? If you've heated it to steam,it's literally worse than just hot water.

Additionally, once water reaches 100C, you have to dump even more energy into it to get it to change phases into steam.

All of that heat doesn't magically disappear when it's released from molecular bonds in the original fuel source. It can only move to other locations.

Take a middle school science class sometime.

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jpelkmans@reddit

*except the Colorado. I don’t think it goes to the ocean anymore.

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kingofthesofas@reddit

That is not even remotely enough energy to warm the planet. I think you are failing to understand the scale of things. Remember we detonated 100s of nuclear weapons which combined probably released more heat and energy than data centers ever will yet no effect on the climate. CO2 traps more of the suns energy which is the only energy source that matters for climate.

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kvltmagik@reddit

Your comparison to the testing of nuclear weapons is an interesting one because you aren't wrong, there isn't really data to suggest that those detonations contributed in any meaningful way to climate change, but that doesn't mean they didn't have harmful effects on the environment. Likewise, I don't think it would be unfair to say that you're overlooking parts of this equation in pointing out that water vapor output isn't going to meaningfully tip the scales. Where is the power for the data center sourced from? Does it come from a source that generates co2 (which, if we are talking about the US, is fairly likely)? Where is the water for cooling coming from? And is it needed downstream or in the immediate environment for other reasons? What other effects on the immediate biome might be felt by these kinds of changes? Moreover, the creation of those data centers and their maintenance is a contributor to green house gasses. Point being: you're right but like, you're kinda wallpapering over a big old stain.

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kingofthesofas@reddit

Well sure power usage from sources that use carbon will contribute to climate change. The heating of water vapor or water being put back into rivers and oceans will not have any effect on climate change and it is crazy how many people are upvoting that in spite of it being detached from reality. There could be localized environmental impacts of it just like any human activity but there are tradeoffs for all human activities like that. Even renewables like solar and wind have local environmental impacts that are negative.

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awwhorseshit@reddit

I’ll be the over.

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Mysterious-Eagle8051@reddit

So if everyone starts buying electric vehicles, bikes, etc. due to the gasoline prices, and with all of the data centers being built, aren’t we going to overload the already fragile and outdated power grid? Especially in the hot summer months with everyone’s air conditioner running. Just a thought.

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relianceschool@reddit (OP)

Well yes, of course it's an issue. But it's a much easier problem to solve than atmospheric destabilization and biosphere collapse.

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Ok_Fan4354@reddit

Guarantee that never crossed the minds of a bunch of people that are all aboard the go green team and hate anyone that’s happy with their V8..

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fignew@reddit

EVs often charge at night when the grid load is low and there is more generation potential than load.

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MysteriousWhitePowda@reddit

This is actually a good thing, NERC is recognizing an issue and changing requirements so that utilities can handle the new challenges, similar to the FERC 881 changes. Situation changes, recognize a problem, adapt. This is FAR better than how private industry would deal with it which is likely just to wait for a failure and then respond

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Ok_Fan4354@reddit

If the power grid was true private industry and free market, we’d never have a black out and would still be paying less for better service with better products.

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MysteriousWhitePowda@reddit

Sorry, but that is just not correct. NERC came into creation as a regulatory arm after the 2003 east coast blackout specifically because private industry is shit at preventing disasters. Private industry only does what generates quarterly profits, and preventative measures aren’t profitable, so companies don’t do them unless they are forced to. Without regulations we would have FAR more blackouts than we have had, and a fragile, peace-meal grid. Don’t believe me? Ask India.

Regulations also keep energy prices cheap. Every utility in the US has to present what they call their “rate case” to FERC to justify their pricing. If FERC finds their rates are not justified by their opex, capex, and a variety of other factors, they force them to lower their rates. Without regulations utilities would price gouge the shit out of their customers. Data centers would be willing to pay far more for power than your average homeowner and so utilities would sell to them instead and your average joe would be sitting in the dark.

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nuevo_redd@reddit

Olduvai theory was right

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bbad999@reddit

Cant have EV's because the power grid just cant support it.. - MAGA'its everywhere....

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techtornado@reddit

That's not accurate in the slightest...

PowCo's occasionally request not to charge the EV during periods of high demand and stress and the manufactured outrage conveniently leaves out it's the Level3 supercharging

You only need 4 Teslas to suck down 1 Megawatt of energy (250kW *4) so that is what they're talking about when the grid "can't support EV charging"

Also, if you've never worried about the grid load from all of the space heaters people use in the office or at home, or how much energy the stove, water heater, or HVAC use (3-6kw) then an EV can charge just fine as they are literally just another appliance in the home.

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Ok_Fan4354@reddit

In Texas space heaters sure aren’t on very many days of the year.. just a friendly fyi

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theoracleofE@reddit

What in the 3rd world is going on?

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davesr25@reddit

"Feed the A.I, for it is hungry"

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CatThe@reddit

Ubuntu had a denial of service attack... I wonder if this is related?

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Shoddy-Childhood-511@reddit

Afaik that DoS maybe so people upgrade their kernels slower, and thus stay vulnerable to Copy Fail longer. lol

Ironically, many developers have given AIs shell access, so if you can keep Copy Fail alive and poison their AI sessions, then you can root their machines. :)

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No-Definition1474@reddit

I know the power utility i work for makes all the dats centers we supply power to agree that in the event that the nearby grid hits max load, they are the first ones to be shut down. They get a home call and then they have 15 mins to go offline.

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Imakittykatmeowmeow@reddit

Imagine people dying in a heat wave because of rolling black/brown outs while the ai data centers have 100% uptime.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

Makes sense this would happen right after I found a decent WFH gig.

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Fun_Union9542@reddit

has your town been experiencing crashes and power outages in short a short week? Hmmm might want to keep a close eye on that

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immrw24@reddit

yea actually i’ve been getting random Citizen app notifications of black outs in my area 😵‍💫 they always seem pretty minor but they’ve been popping up out of nowhere the last month

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Fun_Union9542@reddit

Be prepared.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

gif

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BlumbleBee123B@reddit

But what would we do without all of these data centers????

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Vegetable-Board-5547@reddit

PNW: relatively mild winters, still some glaciers, can be at 3000 ft. in an hour or same to the coast. Canada is a couple of hours away.

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Head00andShoulders@reddit

Solar, wind, and no more fucking data centers.

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Relevant_Pepper_9169@reddit

I perform reliability planning studies for NERC and this is no surprise at all. We’ve been warning about large loads causing reliability issues for years but no one wants to foot the bill for the generation and infrastructure thats needed. My coworker thats been in the game since the late 80s says it will take a black out with a few heat related deaths for anyone to actually do anything.

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ducationalfall@reddit

So it’s time for homeowner to get to solar?

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Coolbreeze1989@reddit

Not in Texas. GOP powers fine with hundreds of power outage cold deaths.

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ThaOppanHaimar@reddit

I perform reliability planning studies for NERC and this is no surprise at all. We’ve been warning about large loads causing reliability issues for years but no one wants to foot the bill for the generation and infrastructure thats needed. My coworker thats been in the game since the late 80s says it will take a black out with a few heat related deaths for anyone to actually do anything.

Would it though? Feels like the current administration wouldn't bat an eye

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Relevant_Pepper_9169@reddit

Oh yeah this administration wont do anything. I mean more so the transmission and generator owners. States may get involved, but I agree this federal admin will only care if those data centers get hurt.

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cowmonaut@reddit

Hmm, Virginia is concerning.

But Texas reaps what they sowed. They decided to be their own power grid, not meet any federal requirements, and thus don't get the interconnectivity benefits with the other power grids in NA. They wanted to be special and deregulated, so they get what is coming to them.

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SignatureInternal265@reddit

Pets put hot data centers where the climate is mild and water is abundant

Like Texas

Morons

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Comfortable_Goal9110@reddit

Just like the genius Kevin O'Leary with his planned data center that is going to use double the power of the entire state of Utah. Perfect timing after the last winter brough basically zero water via snowpack.

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Classic-Ad4224@reddit

Well good timing to have someone doing all he can to stop wind energy from going online then 👍

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tetraodonmiurus@reddit

After the ice storm in Texas several years ago. Their electrical grid seems like it’s held together by duct tape.

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Sea-Rip-9635@reddit

Data centres...?

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lime-eater@reddit

Greatest nation in the world and blackouts don’t mesh.

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No_Possible_7108@reddit

That's on account of the first part only being propaganda

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Pyrodor80@reddit

>Donny signs anti AI regulation order for 10 years
>Data centers popping up everywhere, nobody an the towns they’re built in can vote against them because they’re not notified of these votes-the only people who show up are the ones building or directly benefiting from these being built
>Data centers are ludicrously heavy on water AND energy use
>All the while solar panels, windmills, and basically all green energy sources of the future are labeled as scams by the annoying orange. “OIL IS THE FUTURE!!!”
>Trump starts a foreign war and cuts off a significant world oil supply bottleneck
>Blackouts begin and everyone’s wondering why

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pandershrek@reddit

Would be a shame if all these out of work cybersecurity professionals decided to put those skills to use by tearing down this jacked up economy

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pathf1nder00@reddit

Don't need to be programmer. An idiot with a slingshot and 100ftnof mylar ribbon or some kid with a bb toy can wreak havoc.

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justtosendamassage@reddit

Go on…

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02meepmeep@reddit

Plausible deniability is probably good here.

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MGr8ce@reddit

Right?!

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canigetahint@reddit

Texas is so fucked. The grid can't handle typical summers as it is. Now they are going to double the demand on the same shitty grid with data centers? Gonna be a dark and hot summer.

Go home, big tech. You're drunk.

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Kamel-Red@reddit

I’ve seen negative solar prices and $3,000+/MWh scarcity spikes in the same hour on the same grid, just in different nodes. That kind of price difference shows how constrained and fragmented the system has become under peak stress. We need more robust interconnectivity and storage and less NIMBYism.

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