Massachusetts hits data centers with new clean power rules

Massachusetts has become the third state in as many months to slap new restrictions on data center development.

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Big Tech eyes glacier-strewn Patagonia for building mega AI data centers — region offers 17,300 glaciers, coldness, and cheap energy, but fiber lines are scarce
 Big Tech eyes glacier-strewn Patagonia for building mega AI data centers — region offers 17,300 glaciers, coldness, and cheap energy, but fiber lines are scarce

Patagonia, a region of Argentina with 17,300 glaciers has the potential to turn into a data center hotspot.

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Thailand asks data center operators to suspend 49 buildouts until legal framework is complete — new legislation is supposed to create ‘airtight’ requirements for large-scale data centers
 Thailand asks data center operators to suspend 49 buildouts until legal framework is complete — new legislation is supposed to create ‘airtight’ requirements for large-scale data centers

Thailand asks datacenter operators to suspend buildouts until legal framework is complete — new legislation is supposed to create “airtight” requirements for large-scale datacenters

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Bitcoin mining data center condemned after leaking 3 million gallons of water and forcing school closures — facility operated for years under a city stop-work order

A Bitcoin mining data center in El Reno, Oklahoma has been condemned after it leaked 3 million gallons of water.

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Denver data center continuously waters its lawn even after city announced drought restrictions, enraging residents — it’s unclear if site is breaking the law or using its own recycled water

An AI data center is reportedly watering its lawn despite the area suffering from a drought. One resident said that we can’t water our lawns until next summer, but you better believe that they are watering their entire green with so many sprinklers.

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Almost 70% of voters in Missouri city vote to recall council member who said yes to AI data center tax breaks — councilor said disagreement over an issue shouldn’t be enough to unseat him
 Almost 70% of voters in Missouri city vote to recall council member who said yes to AI data center tax breaks — councilor said disagreement over an issue shouldn’t be enough to unseat him

The people of Independence, Missouri, voted to recall councilor John Perkins after he voted to give a Nebius data center tax breaks amounting to more than $6 billion. Perkins said that a single vote should not be enough grounds to overturn an election from two years ago.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says 38,000 ChatGPT queries use as much water as the production of one almond — says data centers use no more water than an office building
 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says 38,000 ChatGPT queries use as much water as the production of one almond — says data centers use no more water than an office building

Sam Altman says that a single almond uses up more water than 38,000 ChatGPT queries. He said that the concerns of people about data centers using up so much water are nothing but a “robust meme,” and that the claim doesn’t hold up to any scrutiny.

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GoPro to expand into AI data centers after $285 million merger with optical-photonics company — move to solve camera maker’s financial woes, move manufacturing back into the US
 GoPro to expand into AI data centers after $285 million merger with optical-photonics company — move to solve camera maker’s financial woes, move manufacturing back into the US

GoPro is merging with optical-photonics company Starman Optical in a deal worth at least $285 million. This move will wipe out the company’s $92 million outstanding debt, let it start manufacturing its cameras in the U.S., and expand its portfolio to include optical transceivers for AI data centers.

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AI data center investment projected to hit $32 trillion by 2050 — infrastructure spending estimated to exceed capital requirements for railways, electrification, or the internet
 AI data center investment projected to hit $32 trillion by 2050 — infrastructure spending estimated to exceed capital requirements for railways, electrification, or the internet

These investments aren’t massive one-time expenses — data center operators are expected to upgrade their expensive GPUs and related infrastructure every four to six years, as new semiconductor technologies arrive on the market.

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Oklahoma city tries to charge farmer arrested at data center debate $17,000 for body cam footage of the incident — accused faces trespassing charge for going over allotted speaking time by 30 seconds at a public debate
 Oklahoma city tries to charge farmer arrested at data center debate $17,000 for body cam footage of the incident — accused faces trespassing charge for going over allotted speaking time by 30 seconds at a public debate

Claremore admits that one of its reasons for charging so much is because it fears that the documents will be “subject to wide distribution, including on social media.”

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