[LINK] AI advances limited by electricity supply

[David]

On Sunday, 27 July 2025 09:48:23 AEST Tom Worthington wrote:

> More seriously, data centers could use off peak power, moving the power consumption around the world to wherever the wind is blowing or sun shining.

But this is still energy needed for other, arguably more essential, purposes.  Any surplus can be stored in domestic batteries, in megawatt-scale batteries owned by governments and/or the energy utilities, in pumped-hydro projects, et cetera.

> If renewable energy, or event (sic) thermal using river or sea water for cooling, then there is not much water use. Also a data center can use closed cycle cooling, or water harvested from sewers.

Without affecting the ecology of those heat-sinks?

Most such arguments about the proper use of energy & planetary resources depend on narrowing the scope of a large project's justification so its effect on what economists used to call the "external global common" are ignored.  This might be fair enough for any given project, but these enterprises have a cumulative effect as humanity is now beginning to realise.

And it's the cumulative effect which is the problem.

For example "Anthony Albanese offers Tuvalu residents the right to resettle in Australia, as climate change 'threatens its existence'" - see https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-10/tuvalu-residents-resettle-australia-sea-levels-climate-change/103090070

Finally, just to set the record straight, I personally consider Labor is on the right track with its policy of building gas-fired plants to meet peak-power requirements while building more renewable-energy resources.  It's also possible to commit what amounts to the reverse error I described above.

This is all a bit much for a sunny Sunday, but you did goad me into replying...!!

_DavidL_