In case you caught it this week, South Dakota Searchlight had an interesting article on Data Centers an expressing an interest in bringing high tech jobs to South Dakota if they are able to find the infrastructure and electrical capacity to support their operations, and how such operations need to pay their fair share and may bring expanded power development to the state, including nuclear:
These “hyperscale data centers,” or “hyperscalers,” are designed to handle immense computing demands and are often operated by tech giants. The centers are characterized by their large size — often tens of thousands of square feet — and thousands of computer servers that require significant energy to operate.
and..
“We need to ensure that large-scale energy users are paying their fair share,” he said.
Utilities also flagged the risk of “stranded costs,” referring to a data center ceasing operations, leaving a utility with added infrastructure to meet a demand that no longer exists. They said financial safeguards will need to be written into power agreements with hyperscalers.
and..
NorthWestern Energy is exploring the possibility of constructing a small nuclear power plant in South Dakota, with an estimated cost of $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion for a 320-megawatt facility. The plant would be the first in the state since a test facility near Sioux Falls in the 1960s.
The company is conducting a study, partially funded by the Department of Energy. Details about the study and potential plant sites remain confidential.
I’m reading that everyone is doing their very reasonable due diligence, making sure that there are financial safeguards, and considering what the shape of additional power capacity might mean to the state.
But of course, this is the point we can cue our cadre of legislative NIMBY’s who are in opposition to anything resembling development..
And of course, there has to be a plot involving Blackrock and Bill Gates and whatever other facebook paranoia can be thrown out.
Legislators are starting to whip themselves and their facebook followers up based on little more than phone calls and e-mailed inquiries to utility companies, and nothing more than a feasibility study or two. Yes, the NIMBY’s are already opposing development and whipping up a frenzy. All because someone is looking at what it would take to put in a warehouse building with a bunch of computers?
I can’t help but think back at the big projects South Dakota has tried to do as a state. At one time under Governor Mickelson, the state was making a sales pitch sales pitch for a $4.4 billion super-collider project. Under Governor Janklow, there were tales of the administration speaking to NASA about considering South Dakota as a site for looking at the feasibility of cold weather rocket launches. Under Governor Rounds, South Dakota found a way to make the neutrino lab at Homestake work.
But under Governor Noem, the cracks were starting to show. Appropriations started out by picking at her project creating a cybersecurity center which will eventually realize hundreds of high tech jobs through Dakota State, funding it at $1, with several of the usual suspects you might assume voting against it, such as Liz May, Steve Haugaard, and Taffy Howard. Governor Noem eventually got it through and passed, but it showed a glimpse of the environment we find ourselves in today.
Now, when companies want to come to South Dakota and they want to bring jobs, we are facing too many legislators who want to shut the door on development – even high tech development. When someone gives a hint ot wanting to put up a building with servers, we have those all too ready to declare to the world that South Dakota is closed for business because it’s all a Chinese plot arranged by Blackrock and Bill Gates.
NIMBY legislators yet again opposing jobs for the future and economic development that might keep our kids in the state.
What happened to South Dakota?
Curious if they are all against an advanced nuclear power plant being located in South Dakota for a reliable base load energy source. Our Navy has utilized nuclear power for decades giving us a substantial advantage in capabilities.
There are a number of really good options for types of reactors one being recycling and reusing used fuel. If water is utilized we can use the excess thermal energy to produce hydrogen or de-carbonize steel production for example.
Good paying jobs would be created.
Where would would we place his plant?
They tried that by Sioux Falls in the 1960s and it did not go well:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinder_Nuclear_Generating_Station
If you’re not asking rhetorically, I think the answer is simply “Trump”. I’m sure there are other factors too but one thing is for sure, Republicans brought this mess upon themselves.
Ah yes, a response that is produced from a classic case of terminal TDS.
actually wanting trump is the only tds that science can identify.
I blame the district voters who put these nut-balls into office. Lems is their executive secretary.
Would a nuke plant ruin the beauty of South Dakota too? If the demand and site placement would work Aberdeen could sure benefit from this after all the closures and good jobs we have lost. The lack of water availability may limit what type of plant is built but there are other options.
Molten thorium salt reactor. The amount of water required is minimal compared to what a uranium reactor requires.
Like the one being built in Wyoming?
Western South Dakota would be a perfect place for a thorium reactor. Good water source and an abundance of thorium located in eastern Wy.
When it pertains to South Dakota economic development and jobs does Representative Karla Lems realize that our farmers and processing plants provide the ingredients for plant based meat alternative products? Consumers regardless of political affiliation purchase those products for a variety of reasons and sales have been increasing. Japanese traditional foods have included fermented soy products used in Tofu and Tempeh for hundreds of years and have one of the longest life spans on Earth. There are a wide variety of products in this segment.
Diversification can be and is a benefit in our state’s economy.
There is an activist from Bon Homme county on one of those Unhinged FB pages including Doeden’s page that prior to the general election called for the banning of all “fake meat” from South Dakota. Will we see a bill related to this from this extreme wing of legislators this session?
They call themselves Republicans? Really?
count on it.
If one side thinks the mess that is the Republican Party is the fault of the other side, they are in denial as they won’t look in the mirror.
The race of both sides on the moron circle from opposite directions still results in them being roommates in the same insane asylum.
The political equivalent of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
The problem with them looking in the mirror is how they might react when they see how hideous they have become from bad plastic surgery
This past spring I took a cruise down the Rhine River. Along the way we passed a nuclear plant that look like it had been there for awhile, but obviously it wasn’t running. When I googled it I seen that they were going to restart it, because it was cheaper to restart it then build new and the green energy in Germany was not meeting the demands. So yes its time to build a nuclear facility.
Timeout- isn’t Lems turning valuable farm land into housing developments?
Of course she is. Her flavor of NIMBY is all about short-sighted cash grabs and hypocrisy. In her mind, anything build on former farmland that isn’t ramshackle, hastily constructed, plywood shacks that can be sold for 500k is a threat to her racket.
Could someone expound on this info?
I wouldn’t be surprised if one of her donors, like Xcel Energy or black hills energy, has this same stance. They are still upset the public realized burning coal and not filtering the smoke is dirty. These data centers would follow the low energy cost locations, we would be seeing a municipal service be the most desirable (like Watertown), or a new nuclear service location get them. Most likely, they wouldn’t be in a price-gouging location where the PUC allows the for-profit companies to charge as much for fees as they do the KwH of energy.