if microsoft wants the power, they can pay for it. up front, and entirely. including assuming liability for when something goes wrong, and for the ongoing storage of waste materials and the eventual decommission/clean-up of the site.
this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2024
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Three mile island has operated for decades safely. It closes in 2019 IIRC due to it being unprofitable, because methane was so cheap. Safety isn't an issue.
Storage of waste is very simple. It requires a very small area, and most of the waste will be neutral in a very short period of time. The stuff that isn't is still easy to store safely. We have plenty of solutions available for this. It's also a non-issue.
Regardless, I agree they need to pay for the cost. If the electricity isn't going to the people then the people shouldn't be paying for it. Unless M$ is providing the AI garbage free of charge to the public then they get nothing out of it, and even then it would be of debatable utility.
Edit: After reading this, I'm actually not that upset. The company is valued at $80 billion apparently. There's very little chance they default on the loan. It's not like they're getting the money for free. They're just getting a loan from the Energy Department. Still, if it's only for private use then the loan should be handled through private entities. They should go take the loan the banks offer. The only reason they're taking this one instead is because it's a better deal. They don't deserve a better deal if it isn't in the public interest.
Like fucking clockwork. Bend over, here it comes again.
No see that would go against big techs plan to increase their value tenfold on the back of taxpayers because "we need it". Fuck these guys
That's not at all how it works. Micro$oft paid a LOT for those congresscritters, precisely so they DON'T have to pay for it. We do. We always do.
Do not give them one penny.
Sick of all this corporate welfare
I'm just concerned that if we don't give them the money they'll make windows 11 worse.
Linux time!
As a former resident of Washington, fuck that noise.
If you get a paywall, a paywall-free link is here: https://archive.ph/hoaIs
My take on this story: dragging this reactor out of mothballs is expensive and risky, and operating at 50+ year old reactor is risky. The company that owns admits it isn't even solvent enough to run it, much less ensure the risks of operating it. Microsoft and the 3 Mile Island owner are basically asking for a multi-billion-dollar taxpayer subsidy for an enterprise—so-called AI—that eliminates jobs and is used more for revenge porn and deepfakes than it is for any societal good. This is a bad deal.
How about, 'no'?
...no. Sincerely, a taxpayer P.S. have you considered budgeting and not paying for expensive coffee to pay for your expensive hobby?
So they can have an exclusive deal giving Microsoft power?
I'm pretty sure they're going to make enough money doing that.
Nonono, you don’t get it! Microsoft is a small, low-profit business that we absolutely need to help protect cuz SoCiEtY NeEdS tHeM.
(Okay so there’s probably some military/national security angle they will push to justify it. And then bill us exorbitantly for that ai tool anyhow)
sure! I'll make the check out to, "eat shit and die inc", and for the amount of "fuck you".
I didn’t read the article but I’m for any safe use of nuclear energy. Bringing an old reactor online might be significantly easier than building a new one.
It's just easier because they would have to build a new reactor to modern standards, which are safer than anything built in the sixties.
