So, you move into a new flat. In the living room, there's five sockets on the west side, but only one on the east side, and that's planned for a lamp already.

Does it make more sense to

  a) put up your TV and gaming console on the east side, and have an electrician run another power line across the room (they can install five plugs there too so you can keep the lamp and even charge your phone, which is nice), or
  b) simply put up your TV and console on the west side?

I know parent didn't say anything about DCs, but this is a thread about power lines to data centres. Before you go out of your way to span expensive power lines all across the country to get the power where the consumers are, it's a lot smarter to move consumers where the power already is.

▲ wett 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I like your analogy so I will use it in my counter argument. I even have a personal example!

In my last place, there were no ethernet ports, and there was no shot that my landlord would install any. Coaxial wasn’t correctly wired up either. So my two options were to either move my setup into the kitchen, or to run an Ethernet cord up into my room.

I chose the second option to not monopolize the dining room table. It wasn’t pretty but my roommates were happier with some painters tape on the walls than my computer being in the kitchen.

I think a similar thing can be said for people who live in remote areas, it is about compromise. In this example it’s low internet speeds, traveling to get groceries if you live in a food desert, or paying more for utilities.

People prefer what they prefer. And if their preferences are worth their cost of the compromises, then they are going to go with their preferences.

It’s unreasonable to expect someone to move / abandon their preferences because they may not make sense to others on paper.

	▲	kcplate 7 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> It wasn’t pretty but my roommates were happier with some painters tape on the walls than my computer being in the kitchen. I’d be willing to bet your roommates would have been even happier if you used wifi.
	▲	voidnap 16 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		What an absolutely unnecessary analogy. The question is obviously more asking what is preferable about putting data centres in places where there is high competition with the population for power.

▲ vitally3643 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Sure, we'll just pack up our glass and steel foundries and oil refineries and move them across the country. Should be cheap and easy.

The world is a lot more complicated than "datacenter bad". I don't think datacenters are a good justification for HVDC transmission. HVDC transmission justifies itself because even if you could magically transport the biggest consumers to where the power is generated, we still need to transport power all the way across the country. HVDC is the most efficient way to do that bar none.

The reality of the situation is that our power grid is a century out of date and needs an overhaul for the realities of renewable energy. Not installing HVDC transmission lines is simply not an option if we want the whole country to stop using local coal and gas plants.