AI Data Center in East Texas

4,162 Views | 44 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by dmart90
wessimo
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AG
What did he write that was incorrect factually? If you don't like that source, read the WSJ article that the post references..

Also, you are conflating data centers built for cloud computing and the more recent AI data centers that are fueling the bubble. Cloud computing has a real value proposition, AI does not (at least proportionate to the dollars being spent).
wessimo
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AG
Lead story in the WSJ today is on Musk's "Colossus" data center near Memphis.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/elon-musk-xai-memphis-tennessee-power-dec4c70d?mod=mhp
(Paywall)

It uses more power than all the homes in Memphis (plus millions of gallons of water daily). Cost is tens of billions of dollars, financed with debt and some shady deals with counterparties. No clear path to a return on investment, but at least Grok is good at creating goofy videos and scantily clad AI assistants.
Pinochet
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YouBet said:

NoahAg said:

So how can the average dude like myself make money off this? Too late to buy property in and around Sulfur Springs ?

Lotta land over there. Would find a local RE agent and start looking around. Downtown SS is actually pretty kickass and one of the coolest downtown squares you will find in the state. They've done a great job revitalizing it over the last several years.

My immediate family live there now.

Any place that has ministry of silly walks signs around the square is fine by me.
gigemhilo
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AG
YouBet said:

NoahAg said:

So how can the average dude like myself make money off this? Too late to buy property in and around Sulfur Springs ?

Lotta land over there. Would find a local RE agent and start looking around. Downtown SS is actually pretty kickass and one of the coolest downtown squares you will find in the state. They've done a great job revitalizing it over the last several years.

My immediate family live there now.


I live over in MP. we go to SS all the time on date nights because they have great downtown area with great food options. I would be great to get that at home, but our city leaders have not figured it out yet.

As far as land around SS - north of town is a lot of bottom land. Your best bet is south of the interstate for commercial opportunities. I would look around the country club if you are looking for spec housing of some kind.
FHKChE07
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AG
The LNG terminals are so much worse. The terminal I am working at has 1.5 GW of power gen on site. This "massive" AI data center has 150 MW. Almost all data centers these days of any size are putting in on site generation. It is a net positive for grid stability because they are flattening the demand curve from just when it is hot.
halfastros81
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AG
I'd argue we have enough natural gas reserves to do both. Not mutually exclusive.
KALALL
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AG
If anybody is on the construction/facilities side of these things I'd love to connect. I'm an owner in an Aggie owned filter manufacturing company and we provide filters to some bitcoin mines and gas turbines. I'm selfishly hoping these new data centers use more air cooling and not liquid cooling. It'd be better for my business and probably help ease some of the worry about Texas's water supply.
halfastros81
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AG
It shouldn't be all that hard to figure out which Engineering firms are doing the design work if you know who the owners are. IMO that's where you want to make contacts. Whoever is doing the design/spec work on facilities currently under construction will probably be doing more. If you know any of the construction contractors they should be able to tell you who did the Engineering. Whoever is providing the gen sets also would know .

I did a quick Google search on who is doing the design work on Colossus in Memphis. It's a huge firm called Gresham Smith . They have offices all over the South including one in Dallas. If I were you I'd try to get an engineering contact there. I'd be very surprised if there aren't some Ags working there
Troglodyte
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AG
YouBet said:

NoahAg said:

So how can the average dude like myself make money off this? Too late to buy property in and around Sulfur Springs ?

Lotta land over there. Would find a local RE agent and start looking around. Downtown SS is actually pretty kickass and one of the coolest downtown squares you will find in the state. They've done a great job revitalizing it over the last several years.

My immediate family live there now.

I recently bought a weekend place in the Sulphur Springs area. Downtown SS was a huge draw for us. There are several bars, restaurants, and shops down there. They also have a WW2 memorial worth seeing (and mirror bathrooms). There is always something going on downtown. Last weekend was a steak cookoff, and this weekend is a wine festival.

Yes, lots of land in the area. Prices have spiked in the past 5 years. Hopefully, there is more room to run since I feel like I bought at the top of the market.
dmart90
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AG
A big chunk of it.
Quote:

"So, you're saying a third of the stock market is tied up in seven AI companies that have no way to become profitable and that this is a bubble that's going to burst and take the whole economy with it?"

I said, "Yes, that's right."

Bull***** Those companies are all profitable today. Unless his list of companies excludes the likes of Nvidia, Google, Alphabet, and Microsoft.

He quotes an MIT article from 2019 as proof that most companies fail at AI. 2019? Come on! It's '25. Only a bunch if people fail at AI now; not all of them!

He's correct that every investment fund is chasing the next big AI bet. But every investment fund was chasing the next big dot com in the late 90's early 00's. Anyone remember garden.com? They quickly became garden.gone. But they had plenty of investors and the AI companies do too.

And every consultant will tell you AI will replace people. Or at the very least make them 40% more efficient. He's also correct there. And all those consultants are largely full of ***** Although they are mostly replacing their analysts with AI. So maybe there is a win.

Data centers are a blight and hardly employ anyone. But as long as their services are consumed; they will be profitable.

I do think AI will be useful in some ways and tradeoffs will have to be made. Most of the attempts fall short in many cases. Most companies willl fall short; but some will succeed if they have the right use case.

Just reminder, most dot com companies had no idea if the they would make money. Most had no business plan but still got funding. And burned though that capital.

He's right Zuckerburg is rolling the dice of AI specialist compensation. That will all likely come back to bite them in the ass.

But to surmise that new data centers don't have a plan for profitability is a joke. They are dependent on someone buying their services. As long as there is a need for cloud computing they will make money.

Until AI really flops, there is lots of money to be made. But a lot of those companies will be gone in 10 years. A few will hang around and make it work. There is a path. If they are in the right place at the right time with the right product - its not all doom and gloom. As the article implies.
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