News
Ask AI or just Google it? Google makes a big change to a little search box
8+ hour, 23+ min ago (806+ words) Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter sent every weekday morning. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. " Google is changing what it means to Google. The company this week announced significant changes to its search box " that austere, single-line input field…...
Can Texas' power grid handle the demands of data centers?
19+ hour, 38+ min ago (18+ words) Data centers are creating enormous demand for new electricity in Texas. But can the grid actually meet it?...
NC bill proposes data center regulations, would keep local governments from offering incentives
1+ day, 15+ hour ago (1061+ words) House Republicans have proposed a slate of rules governing development of data centers that use at least 100 megawatts of power in an effort they say is intended to protect electricity users from paying for development of the facilities and to…...
NC budget framework would roll back data centers' tax exemption on electricity purchases
1+ week, 1+ day ago (590+ words) The budget framework Speaker of the House Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger agreed to earlier this week includes a rollback of the sales and use tax exemption for electricity purchased by data centers. That's a rollback that could…...
In the Triangle, people are making media physical again
1+ week, 4+ day ago (1611+ words) Michael Wilkerson uses a flip phone. That may not immediately strike anyone as strange until they find out that Wilkerson is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill. He got his first phone in middle school, and it wasn't until his first…...
Some people in Iran have kept internet access despite government-imposed blackout
2+ week, 19+ hour ago (27+ words) Iran is experiencing the longest internet blackout ever recorded with 99% of the population offline. But certain people " with "white internet" " have stayed connected this entire time....
EBCI passes indefinite moratorium on data centers
2+ week, 1+ day ago (350+ words) The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council on Thursday passed an indefinite moratorium on data centers, following several other counties and municipalities throughout North Carolina that have made similar moves. The alarm was spurred by other data centers in…...
Data centers in NC don't pay taxes on their supplies or their electricity. Should that change?
1+ mon, 6+ hour ago (1576+ words) North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and anti-data center advocates statewide are paying increased attention to a decades-old sales tax exemption intended to help boost the increasingly controversial industry. Under North Carolina law, data centers that cost at least $75 million do…...
New study shows the environmental impact of chatting with AI
10+ mon, 3+ week ago (913+ words) A study from the Munich University of Applied Sciences in Germany assessed the environmental impacts of using large language models (LLMs), a class of artificial intelligence (AI) that includes the popular Chat GPT, Deep Seek, and Co Pilot. "A lot…...
Need a primer on data centers? Our zine's got you covered
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (143+ words) Data centers have become a hot button issue lately. With each project that gets proposed, there are many environmental and socioeconomic implications to consider. We've produced a zine to help serve as a guide for understanding what data centers are,…...