The project would be more than twice the size of Manhattan and could consume more electricity than the entire state currently uses.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.zip/c/technology/p/1462160/kevin-o-leary-s-massive-data-center-project-in-utah-gets-the-greenlight-locals-are-furious

The project would be more than twice the size of Manhattan and could consume more electricity than the entire state currently uses.

Some quotes near the end that I want to point out.

For his part, O’Leary has claimed, without evidence, that much of the opposition to the project was “paid” and that the meeting was filled with “professional protestors.”

“We think that over 90% of the protestors are actually not people that live in Utah or Box Elder County. They’re being bussed in,” O’Leary said in a video posted on X.

He also claimed backlash on social media surrounding the project was AI-generated.

I mean sure, might as well keep using that playbook it’s not like it ever stopped working, but at this point I’m shocked these assholes don’t just go “And there’s nothing you peasants can do about it! Mwauahahaha”

  • hash@slrpnk.netEnglish
    43·
    2 days ago

    I live in Utah. This passed unanimously after the councilmembers ran to a private room and didn’t take public comment. Protesters most certainly were not bussed in and the public truly is pissed. While the vote passed I doubt this is over.

  • londos@lemmy.world
    46·
    2 days ago

    “We think that over 90% of the protestors are actually not people that live in Utah or Box Elder County. They’re being bussed in,” O’Leary said in a video posted on X.

    Does he even live in Utah?

  • lmdnw@lemmy.world
    56·
    2 days ago

    Would be a shame if people in the community were to sabotage the construction and destroy any expensive equipment or materials.

      • TheGoldenV@lemmy.world
        17·
        2 days ago

        Not as ruined as you’d hope I fear. Plus a literal ton of concrete isn’t that much due to the density. I.e. you’d need a metric f ton of sugar to be effective.

        Maybe a pound of gasoline to burn the truck instead?

        • its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          20·
          2 days ago

          but when the sugar content exceeds a very small threshold, often cited at around 0.2% to 1% by weight of the cement, the retardation becomes so severe that the concrete may never properly set or gain adequate strength. The sugar essentially prevents the microscopic crystals from growing and interlocking, leaving behind a weak, unusable slurry instead of the intended durable rock.

          Source

          1 pound is about .5% well within the necessary amounts, and you do not need to ruin every square foot of concrete to make the structure unusable.

          • TheGoldenV@lemmy.world
            5·
            2 days ago

            I know we’re all joking anyway, but the sugar method is stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. They do slump and crush tests on all the concrete poured for anything important.
            How would a person execute this plan at scale?

            Guess I’m no criminal mastermind, or maybe just no mind at all.

            • halcyoncmdr@piefed.socialEnglish
              4·
              1 day ago

              They usually pull those samples just before the truck leaves the plant. That doesn’t stop someone on site adding some sugar as it’s leaving the truck. Construction has one of the biggest day labor usage rates.

    • redsand@infosec.pub
      10·
      2 days ago

      Did you know all construction equipment is fleet keyed? More shocking, most service panels don’t require a key at all. Crazier still, people can print the keys now days, they don’t even need the spares on eBay.

    • Ariselas@piefed.caEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      All that copper and precious metals, gotta get meth heads off criticality converters and onto data centres

    • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
      21·
      1 day ago

      They’re mormons. They’ll put a cup of coffee by the construction site and say the devil is in the fiber optics, then pass a bill to ban porn on the internet if it comes from California

  • parson0@startrek.website
    7·
    1 day ago

    Totally unrelated fun fact, but I heard a few pounds of sugar can do significant damage to a truckload of concrete if mixed in.

  • xtr0n@sh.itjust.works
    35·
    2 days ago

    I hope this ghoul sinks all of his money into this bubble and dies penniless. I know it won’t happen but a gal can dream.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.caEnglish
      23·
      2 days ago

      Very high chance of this.

      Kevin O’Leary is a chronic loser. He typically heads investment funds and they typically lose. His own O’Leary fund underperformed until it had to be sold off. He made some money on a $3B software deal with Mattel that lost Mattel $3B.

      Small wonder he loves Trump.

  • chilicheeselies@lemmy.world
    7·
    1 day ago

    Who is this data center even for though? Like, who is the customer of a data center this large? Are AWS availabilty zones even cmose to this large?

    I mean really, who is leasing this equipment?

  • Canaconda@lemmy.ca
    14·
    2 days ago

    MMW. Kevin O’Leary will be the first person in history to be capitally punished via wristwatch. I don’t know how. I just know that.

      • Canaconda@lemmy.ca
        2·
        2 days ago

        If Sharks weren’t scared shitless of Orcas they could team up next time he goes on a boat.

          • Omgpwnies@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            22 hours ago

            Given that an orca really has very few features on which it can “wear” something, I think the most feasible would be a sort of bandoleer or vest… an orca wearing a bandoleer of billionaire heads sounds pretty badass IMHO