Funny, there seems to be a push to build data centers when the federal government has identified 335 specific, large-scale brownfields and Superfund sites that are ideal candidates for retrofitting into sprawling AI and data center campuses. And the U.S. has over 450,000 “brownfield” sites, abandoned or underutilized industrial and commercial properties where redevelopment is complicated by past contamination. Faster to come online, cheaper construction costs, infrastructure already wired for them, and those communities probably already have people familiar with the sites wanting to go back. Makes you wonder what money is changing hands to make building new sites, especially in the hottest areas of the country, seem like a good idea.

The Decision Criteria: Why Old Factories Work Not every abandoned factory is a viable data center. Developers look for specific conditions when evaluating adaptive reuse:

Grid Connection: Proximity to high-voltage transmission lines or existing substations is critical, as powering AI racks requires massive amounts of electricity.

Footprint and Zoning: The site must have sufficient contiguous acreage for server warehouses and cooling facilities and be located in a municipality that zones the land for industrial use.

Brownfield Status: Federal initiatives, such as EPA ⁠guidelines and incentives for Superfund and Brownfield sites, make repurposing tax-advantaged and legally streamlined.

Turning abandoned factories into data centers video

Inside the Child Sex Abuse Case that Resulted in Ken Paxton’s Office Offering a Plea Deal of Just One Day in Jail

This is just another example of why Paxton should not hold ANY office. Of course, Netflix tracks what you watch to suggest stuff you might want to see. Almost the point of it. Same with autoplay. Texas Sues Netflix For Allegedly ‘Spying’ On Customers

Makes building them in Texas look that much better, right? Amazon’s cloud services were largely back online on Friday after overheating at one of its data centers triggered ‌an outage that impacted companies including cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.

It’s interesting that in Texas, I have to prove citizenship to get my driver’s license and show two IDs to forward my mail, yet mail for my ex-wife from 26 years ago is being forwarded to my new address. And I haven’t been able to update my address on the voter rolls for over five months.

Just when you thought things could not get crazier. Speaker Dustin Burrows Lists Data Centers, Property Taxes and Annexing Slice of New Mexico Among 2027 Priorities

Trying to sort out why this is needed, given the federal I-9 form requirement. Texans face new licensing rules requiring US work authorization, sparking fear among professionals

It’s “interesting” that I received my new driver’s license months ago and even got a form to register for jury duty in my new county, but I still haven’t been able to get them to update my voter ID for almost five months now. That should give you an idea of how messed up voting in Texas is.

March has been insane this year! From the record high 90s on Sunday, a record drop to Sunday night, followed by a record low below freezing Monday night, and back in the 90s this weekend. Temperature chart

Wondering if this is related to them messing with GPS in the same area? FAA Closes El Paso Airspace for 10 Days Citing ‘Special Security Reasons’ FAA GPS Notice

Collateral damage in Abbott’s war on rainbows. Buddy Holly crosswalk in Texas hometown to be removed following governor’s order on road safety