When Facebook’s VP of Technical Operations, Jonathon Heiliger, recently announced their first custom data center, did he expect a “green” backlash would follow? According to Treehugger, the Prineville, Oregon based server center is mostly powered on coal power. So are Facebook users too complacent to care, or are they simply unaware of the choice of energy?
The bottom line is that Google’s data center in Oregon was based on “cheap, green hydro power”, so why isn’t Facebook doing the same thing for their data center in Oregon? According to Search Data Center, it all boils down to cost, and avoiding tiered energy rates for new customers, thanks to the BPA (Bonneville Power Administration), “the federal agency that operates dams on the Columbia River and sells the power at cost to utilities.”
The announcement by Facebook has prompted Change.org to start a petition called “Stop Facebook from Switching to Dirty Coal”. Unfortunately, despite the 400 million-plus users of Facebook, only 2,753 signatures are on the petition (at the time of this writing). A Facebook group, Tell Facebook to use clean energy for its data center only has 144 members at the moment. However, these sorts of grassroots movements do have a tendency to grow over time.
Maybe someone at Facebook is paying attention because a spokesperson, Lee Weinstein, commented on an article by Data Center Knowledge (DCK). Today, DCK posted a followup story quoting Weinstein’s comment. Here is a portion of the quote:
…Our new data center will be receiving our power through PacifiCorp, which like most utilities has a diverse generation portfolio including hyrdo, geothermal, wind and coal… When it comes online in early 2011, the new Facebook data center will also be one of the most energy efficient in the world, featuring an innovative cooling system created for the unique climate characteristics in Prineville, Oregon.”
Weinstein goes on to say that the various systems that will be in use will reduce power usage by as much as 12%, and that the “facility will be built to LEED Gold standards.” Aside from that singular mention of coal, Weinstein does not defend coal use or give any indication of what percentage of the data center’s power will come from coal.
If you are concerned about Facebook’s use of coal, consider signing the Change.org petition or the Facebook group indicated above.
Coal image via CleanTechnica
The petition is stupid. It’d be like petitioning my business because my energy is coming from nuclear energy. The power company provides it an I can’t afford to switch.
Number two, PacifiCorp is using clean burning technology on it’s plants, it’s not as disturbingly bad as environmentalist make it out to be.
Luckily I don’t have to deal with public backlash on this at the Data Center I manage… Those who don’t manage Data Centers just don’t realize how much companies are already doing to reduce power consumption in Data Centers.. Everything from virtualization to MAID (Massive Array of Idle Disks) is being done to reduce power consumption… Groups like Change.org need to grow up and focus upon the good being done instead of whining about companies like Facebook having to make valid business decisions…….
NEWS FLASH: Large and successful company does not give a poo-poo about eco-friendly stuff that increases company expenses, seeks only to broaden the profit margin.
Details at 11.
THIS JUST IN: Fellow faux-edgy contrarian Ken Santema revealed to actually be a “f*ck you got mine” libertarian. Internet reported to be…not surprised.
In other news, linking to your publically viewable Facebook through Facebook Connect: Merely unwise, or really freakin’ boneheaded? We report, you decide.
A lot of folks missed the real news in this story… that the Pacific Northwest is running out of hydropower.
Haha, now that is just dang funny Two Worlds! I may not agree with you, but “Fellow faux-edgy contrarian”. I want to find a way to use that in a sentence, just to see the glaze in someones eyes!!!
And heck yah, I don’t hide behind anonymity. Whats the point of saying something if nobody knows you said it?
Just tried to visit that group on Facebook to sign, but it’s nonexistent. Did FB take it down???
Well, well, well… Remarkable, that the group “Tell Facebook to use clean energy for its data center” on FB where gone or maybe even shut down today. Nor searching for it or the direct link works anymore. Where did it go..? Are we facing some free speach limitations here…?
It looks as if that Facebook group is gone, but there are two more, one with 3800+ members:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&gid=293658483533
Hmm, the group is down. There is a group called Tell Facebook: NO To Coal Power found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=search&gid=321841621671
Couple of possibilities. Facebook’s marketing department took it down. Or the creator of the site may have taken it down to create controversy. Considering how many “the Facebook Corporation is run by pigs” type groups there are I can’t imagine Facebook would bother taking that one down.
Or maybe its simply down like so many other things on Facebook…
Or (keep thinking of too many possibilities) it was a scam site like so many of the other groups on Facebook. Taking advantage of issues like this is good for click scammers.
No matter what the cause it will do nothing but feed conspiracy theories.
Its maybe also a good time to mention free speech is no protected on Facebook. Speech on Facebooks servers can be limited however they see fit (not smart of them to do, but well within their rights).
Facebook has, without warning, deleted the FB-group “Tell Facebook to use clean energy in its data center.”
The group existed for merely two days, was very popular and swiftly growing. At the moment of its deletion the group had about 700 members and there were over 3000 invitations to join the group, send out by its members, which were not yet responded upon. The number of group memberships was rising exponential.
Also at the moment of deletion the groups creator was in the progress to join forces with a major environmental movement to mobilize the public and to let them show their dismay by becoming member of the group. Which would have boosted membership even more.
We regret the undemocratic tactics which Facebook has applied in this matter.
The group is back up. There are no notices on the group or from FB why it was down. I may not agree with the group, but I still think anyone that does agree with the group should go there, join the group, and speak up.
In response to Mike Key’s statement:
“Number two, PacifiCorp is using clean burning technology on it’s plants, it’s not as disturbingly bad as environmentalist make it out to be.”
-Did you really not see the link to CleanTechnica.com at the end of the article that shows, once again, clean coal is a myth? I guess you read selectively.