This Machine Kills 457. DC3: The Terraforming
May 13, 2026
A deep dive into how hyperscale data centers are rolled out using secrecy, fast-tracking, and counterinsurgency tactics. A critique of spreadsheet thinking and ideological cost‑benefit logic that discounts local communities. An investigation of a proposed nine‑gigawatt site near the Great Salt Lake and its potential to terraform local ecosystems with heat, water, and power impacts.
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Use Moratoria To Create Bargaining Power
- Use moratoria as a political tool to force concessions on grid expansion, ratepayer protection, and supply-chain priorities.
- Edward Ongweso Jr. argues moratoria create bargaining leverage absent friendly administrations or courts.
Global Percentages Mask Local Trade Offs
- Macro percentage comparisons hide local trade-offs by framing resource use against national/global baselines.
- Jathan warns spreadsheet accounting masks that data centers displace local water, land, and community uses with irreversible choices.
Developer Describes Going Undercover In Bars And Churches
- Kevin Nichols attended the Midwest Data Center Expo and heard developers describe undercover counterinsurgency methods learned in military service.
- The panelist described going undercover in bars and churches to gauge potential resistance.
