Repurpose old mine sites for data centers
Editor: Where to put proposed data centers? Let’s put them in abandoned mines.
On March 9, The Wall Street Journal published a letter from a former president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical & Petroleum Engineers. I repeat some of his ideas: Mine pools, which can be very large and maintain stable temperatures around 52 degrees F., cut down significantly the need for vast amounts of local water. The stable temperature allows the use of energy efficient cooling infrastructure, cutting a large part of electricity use. Mine sites often have access to roads and utilities, suitable for future industrial development.
Maps are available online showing areas of abandoned mines in NEPA. Scranton and the surrounding area is almost all built over abandoned mines. Why not put them to good use?
Contrast this with the worries and concerns of area residents, which required one full page of newsprint on March 15. It’s far past the time to start thinking outside the box. Data centers are coming. Let’s make their arrival as painless as possible.
Janet Y. Wassmuth, Scranton