Neither Amazon or the city wanted to pay the electric utility for the 3 phase electric service upgrade, so I had to go the next cheaper option and have a natural gas powered electric generator and a backup installed in my back yard and a swimming pool for the cooling tower’s reserve.
When Amazon was considering setting up their HQ2 in our area, I suggested to my wife that we rent our house out as a barracks for Amazon workers. She didn’t think much of the idea.
Bitcoin miners sniff out the cheapest electrical rates. It takes about 215kWh of juice to earn 1 Bitcoin (current value of ~$3,400 USD). It’s why you’re getting people setting up shop in small towns in Washington state, for example — where hyrdo power offers one of the lowest rates in the country (it also attracts the big tech players like Microsoft too).
So, while we’re all worried (or not, I suppose) about global warming via fossil fuels, you can also throw in all that extra heat generated by the racks of processors being used to solve the mathematical problems of untangling block chained transactions — for fun and profit.
TheWildSow almost 6 years ago
Obviously they’re NOT in Pittsburgh.
Brass Orchid Premium Member almost 6 years ago
You can heat your house with the thermal output of a server farm.
gigagrouch almost 6 years ago
Coming soon- all along the I-94 corridor in Kenosha county…
PoodleGroomer almost 6 years ago
Neither Amazon or the city wanted to pay the electric utility for the 3 phase electric service upgrade, so I had to go the next cheaper option and have a natural gas powered electric generator and a backup installed in my back yard and a swimming pool for the cooling tower’s reserve.
J Quest almost 6 years ago
Prime Crime?
smartman almost 6 years ago
Banner week for mocking Amazon. First, South Park does a perfect episode ripping Bezos and Amazon, and now, this.
Kip W almost 6 years ago
“…And we LIKED it!”
Christopher Shea almost 6 years ago
When Amazon was considering setting up their HQ2 in our area, I suggested to my wife that we rent our house out as a barracks for Amazon workers. She didn’t think much of the idea.
Broacher almost 6 years ago
Bitcoin miners sniff out the cheapest electrical rates. It takes about 215kWh of juice to earn 1 Bitcoin (current value of ~$3,400 USD). It’s why you’re getting people setting up shop in small towns in Washington state, for example — where hyrdo power offers one of the lowest rates in the country (it also attracts the big tech players like Microsoft too).
So, while we’re all worried (or not, I suppose) about global warming via fossil fuels, you can also throw in all that extra heat generated by the racks of processors being used to solve the mathematical problems of untangling block chained transactions — for fun and profit.
Yep, great grandchildren — this really happened.