A million gallons a day?— Elon Musk’s supercomputer plans raise questions about local water supply
Supercomputers need massive amounts of water and electricity to operate. Environmental groups are concerned about the impact of Elon Musk's supercomputer facility, xAI, which will require one million gallons of water and could power 100,000 homes. The facility, which is designed to cool computers and clean them up, could harm Memphis' drinking water and the MLGW power grid. The world's largest supercomputer, XAI, also requires significant amounts of electricity to keep the equipment cool, raising concerns about the potential impact on public health and the environment. The project is likely to help expedite the construction of Memphis’ first wastewater recycling plant. Concerns have been raised about the ML GW power grid's ability to handle the increased demand for electricity.
Publicados : 3 semanas atrás por Joyce Peterson, Joel Moore no Environment
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Supercomputers need massive amounts of water and electricity to operate.
Environmental groups expressed concern about the impact Elon Musk’s facility could have on Memphis’ drinking water and the MLGW power grid.
A family of four uses about 400 gallons of water a day. The supercomputer facility will require one million gallons a day. The electricity needed to run the supercomputer could power 100,000 homes. Environmentalists want to ensure the xAI facility doesn’t hurt a community already burdened by power outages and industrial pollution.
The world’s largest supercomputer needs super amounts of water to keep the equipment cool, and that worries Sarah Houston, Executive Director of Protect Our Aquifer.”This isn’t for drinking water,” she said, “This isn’t for public health.
This is just to cool some computers and our pure, 2000-year-old water—that’s not really the best use of this amazing drinking water source.”
On Action News 5 at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Memphis Business Journal reporter Stephen Macleod confirmed the Elon Musk project will likely help fast-track the building of Memphis’ first wastewater recycling plant, an environmentally friendly alternative to using fresh water.”MLGW is really working quickly to make sure we have a greywater facility,” said MacLeod, “the first in our city, which is when we take wastewater and purify for industrial reasons.”MCAP, Memphis Community Against Pollution, is concerned the MLGW power grid won’t be able to handle the increased demand for electricity.
“We would love to see xAI come in and use solar,” said MCAP’s Communications Director, Yolonda Spinks, “and work with TVA, and Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to use solar instead of electricity. Let’s make sure we’re being environmentally responsible.”MLGW CEO Doug McGowen told Action News 5: “MLGW will meet the company’s needs without putting our power grid or water resources at risk. It’s important the company agree to join an electricity demand program. This means when demand on the grid gets high, they will reduce their consumption, ensuring an available supply for all customers.”MCAP wants Musk to go a step further, by signing a community legal agreement to be an environmentally conscious neighbor.
“Those are just mutually binding contracts to make sure that corporations do good by people,” said Spinks, “because we can have a robust economy and we can have a healthy community.”
MCAP, Protect Our Aquifer and the group Young, Gifted and Green said they would like the Shelby County Health Department and TDEC, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, to monitor the supercomputer site to make sure it’s not harming the environment.
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Tópicos: Business Leaders, Environment-ESG