But these reasonable concerns are then drowned out by ridiculous NIMBYs resistant to any and all change, who would rather keep our country hooked on oil and their county’s library falling apart so they can look out over their neighbor’s corn field, where most of its output feeds inefficient ethanol production, without having to see an “ugly” wind farm. So much of this conversation is infected with parrot insane culture war lies about solar and wind. Adding data centers to this rhetorical mess has only accelerated the conversation’s futility.

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Green energy is, plainly, both actually useful and sorely needed for the green transition. There’s simply no comparison. As a democracy, nothing is stopping us from choosing to build useful infrastructure while rejecting projects that impoverish our communities in favor of the wealth of the few. But to do so, we need to begin agreeing on what counts as a beneficial project. Until then, our planning processes will continue to sputter, directionless in the face of public that can’t distinguish between clean energy and a polluting money pit.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/41100904