Facebook's Oregon Data Center Uses As Much Power As Entire County

1sockchuck writes "The first phase of the Facebook data center in Oregon uses 28 megawatts of utility power, local officials said this week. That's not extraordinary for a facility of that size in most data center hubs. But it stands out in Crook County, Oregon where all the homes and business other than Facebook use 30 megawatts of power. The economics of Facebook's presence in Oregon are outlined in a new study, which asserts that the Prineville facility has brought tens of millions of dollars into the local economy. The second phase of the Facebook project is now underway, and the local utility grid is being expanded to add capacity." The study claiming economic benefits was commissioned by Facebook (reader beware).

Facebook...

[SeaFox]

a source of pollution both on the Net and off.

Re:Go the Apple way

[TheLink]

They could use solar to reduce their electric bill, but currently it's likely to just cost them more, unless there are subsidies which means taxpayers would be paying for their electricity (in return for hopefully improved solar tech in the long run).

So what's happening with all the waste heat then?

[advocate_one]

Article's a bit light on any details... but that facility has to deal with all that heat somehow... and using it to provide heating for local residents would be a very good use of it.

Re:AAF: Ammo Against Facebook

[delinear]

What do you think all those people would do if they weren't using Facebook? It's not like we'd turn off Facebook and everyone then goes out and plants trees as an alternative. As a means for keeping in touch with friends and family I'd say a site like Facebook has got to be more energy efficient than, say, driving or flying out to visit people on a regular basis.

Re:Go the Apple way

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Actually, that makes a lot of sense.As long as they have a fat pipe to the internet, who cares where the datacenter is. Costs will be lower in Africa, and solar panels make a lot more sense there.

Go to Iceland instead. Lots of hydro power, cooling not a problem, halfway between two of the most important regions to serve...

Re:Facebook...

[Dcnjoe60]

Isn't this datacenter powered from hydroelectric power? I think everyone is against burning fossil fuels for power (yay environment!), but whatever environmental damage damming the columbia river did happened 70 years ago. In terms of cleanest, cheapest power, there are few places better suited for a datacenter.

Except that power is dumped onto a grid. If Facebook pulls 32megawatts from the grid, and the hydroelectric dam is providing it, then somebody else's coal plant (or nuclear) is making up the difference. Wasted electricity is wasted electricity.

Re:Go the Apple way

[stewbacca]

Apple has 40,000 US employees and 20,000 international employees (not outsourced, they support their respective regions). They also provide all their US tech support from the US, not outsourced.

Paying a contractor to assemble 10,000 iDevices a day in the only place on the planet with that type of manufacturing capacity is not the definition of "outsourcing" you are looking for.