> put a slightly larger solar array on the same equipment on earth?

Land and permitting. I’m not saying the math works. Just that there are envelopes for it to.

ajam1507 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

There is practically infinite land in which to build a datacenter.

	▲	JumpCrisscross 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> There is practically infinite land in which to build a datacenter This is absolutely not true. I’ve worked on some of this stuff. Permitting costs months, which in dollar terms pays for launch costs ten-fold.

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dangus 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The math literally works.

The US mandates by law that we grow a fuck ton of corn to mix 10% ethanol into gasoline.

If you replaced just those cornfields with solar/wind, they would power the entire USA and a 100% electric vehicle fleet. That includes the fact that they are in the corn belt with less than ideal sun conditions.

We aren’t even talking about any farmland that produces actual food or necessary goods, just ethanol as a farm subsidy program.

The US is already horrendously bad at land use. There’s plenty of land. There’s plenty of ability to build more grid capacity.

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6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

[deleted]

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bobtheborg 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Hello fello Technology Connections watcher?

	▲	dangus 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You know it!