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Made it to a Hot Ol’ Summer Friday

Made it to Friday. Another hot one and then more rain for the weekend. But then so was last summer, when the first half of summer it seemed like most of weekends were rainy. But I’m waiting for the truck cap at least one more weekend, so be it.

Today is Friday. ☺️ It would be more fun if I was getting out of town, but it’s going to rain tomorrow and I’m not getting the truck cap until next week. Andy Ruth’s secretary said she would be calling me to set up the installation next week when it arrives at the shop. πŸ’΅ Hand over the big check, get it installed and then swing by Wally World to get a battery box and more plastic conduit and Pet cloth tape. I’ll reuse what I can from the old truck but the UV really attacked the conduit especially running from the solar panel on down. Think I have all the wire and connectors I need either from the old truck or in storage. The second solar panel arrives tomorrow.

It will be fun to get out of town, πŸ•οΈ still hoping for Juneteenth Weekend, I just got to get everything moved over and wired by then. Should be able to do it but it’s cutting things tight with only one weekend after this remaining. And who knows about the future of gas prices, they’re expected to go up to around $5 a gallon by mid-summer, but who knows how high they’ll remain. β›½ That said, with the extra solar, I should be able set up camp and leave the engine off for multiple days without worry. I feel like the SuperDuty should be very reliable, at least for a few years, and I think πŸ€” I’ve figured out to manage batteries and electrical load πŸͺ« fairly well after all these years.

I ended up deciding to go to the forum last night about AI Data Centers. πŸ€– Learned a bit, though not that much, as I’ve been fairly informed about the debate over Hyperscalers and even the “Edge” style data center proposed for old covenant site at Kenwood. Even if it’s not the 180 MW they are asking for in power allocation but instead just 10 MW as listed on the website, it’s still a lot of power. They really need to improve the efficiency of some of this AI stuff, though so much of it is hype, chasing potential demand, sought out on speculation, but facing incredible demand.

If your local 5-MW solar is waiting months if not years for an interconnection agreement, πŸ”Œ it seems unlikely an already stressed grid is going to be getting a lot of data centers approved. Honestly, I can’t wait until the silly season is over, the market crash, and all this AI crap goes away. The free AI news article summaries and writing services for my blog is kind of fun, and I’ll be a bit sad πŸ’΅ when my paper worth drops some some 20% or 30%, but it never was real in the first place. Gives the activists something to fight. I mean if it was in the Albany Pine Bush, I’d certainly be there too speaking out.

It was such a nice night, maybe I should have spent it at Five Rivers 🐸 but other nice nights are certainly ahead for reading and enjoying the wildflowers, πŸͺ» though era of earlier sunsets will be here before you know it. I expect some real some swelters come later in the summer, yesterday got up into the nineties but with the dew point in the 50s, it certainly didn’t feel real warme especially by the time I got out of work with the breeze.

I was watching YouTube and reading about some of the different type of plastics. ♻️ Interesting to learn about the different histories, the chemicals, the various shit I’ve burned over the years πŸ”₯ as in many years the bulk of my trash has gone up into smoke. I’ve been avoid Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese all winter as I’m very skeptical about Polypropylene recycling, though once I get my new rig up and working, and I’m traveling, I might enjoy some up at camp. And then I’ve been trying to learn as much about A. I.  and energy use – what really is A. I. – not that hype put out by the commercial backers or the fear mongers. πŸ§‘β€πŸ­ A useful somewhat technology for some purposes, but also over hyped – it won’t change world or come for your job, uses a fair amount of electricity, though in context, maybe not quite as bad as the activists in claim. πŸ”Œ That’s kind of why I went to the forum put on by the retired RPI Facilities Manager who knows more then a little bit about electricity and engineering. He also was the town water engineer for a while, though kind of controversial at least in the minds of town GOP during his lecture.  βš™οΈ

I got to head in fairly early, 🧁 as I need to swing by Hannaford to get cupcakes or some kind of sweets 🩷 for one of my employees birthdays, and kind of an end of session type party. Raspberry pancakes πŸ₯ž for breakfast, making up some rice and lentils on the stove now for lunch. 🍴 Get through work today, and tomorrow depending on when the solar panel is delivered and how wet it is, I want to catch the Nature Bus 🚏 up to Thacher Park.

Terrain Map: Heldebergs
Terrain Map: Moose River Plains

Just asking for a friend…

Where does the state get rid of it’s waste heat from it’s downtown data center?

Where does the county get rid of it’s PFOAs in it’s sewage sludge?

$700 million to limp along old coal plants? 🏭

President Donald Trump is launching a nearly $700 million federal initiative aimed at reviving the declining U.S. coal industry by upgrading existing infrastructure, building new power plants, and expanding export capabilities. The administration frames this energy push as a national security priority to meet the massive electricity demands of artificial intelligence data centers, electric cars, and tech infrastructure, while reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Funding Breakdown

The plan utilizes wartime executive powers and targeted federal grants to inject capital into the fossil fuel sector: [1, 2]

  • $425 Million for Upgrades: Allocated under the Cold War-era Defense Production Act (DPA) to modernize and support 13 existing coal-fired plants across the country. [1, 2]
  • $185 Million for New and Reopened Plants: Department of Energy grants, matching corporate funds, to build two brand-new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia (the first new U.S. coal plants since 2013) and restart a shuttered 200-MW plant in Maryland. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • $75 Million for Export Infrastructure: Sourced from the DPA to fund the long-delayed West Gateway export terminal in Oakland, California, establishing a direct shipping pipeline to foreign markets. [1, 2, 3]

Strategic Goals

  • Powering Tech Growth: The Energy Department is using emergency directives to keep coal facilities operating past their scheduled retirement dates to withstand the historic energy surge driven by data centers and AI. [1]
  • Job Creation: The White House projects the total funding package will create or protect over 14,000 jobs across the mining, rail, construction, and maritime shipping industries. [1]
  • Grid Reliability: Energy Secretary Chris Wright notes that preventing the premature retirement of aging coal facilities acts as a critical safety net against grid blackouts during extreme winter weather. [1]

Environmental Concerns

The plan faces concerns from environmental advocates, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council. Critics condemn the use of taxpayer funds to prop up what they describe as an “extraordinarily uneconomic” and highly polluting energy source, warning that forcing aging plants to stay open will ultimately raise consumer utility bills and worsen air pollution. [1, 2]

Mount Storm

Thematic Map: Percent of Land Forested – New York State Counties in 2021
Thematic Map: Farm Land by New York State County in 2021

Vanderwhacker Firetower Hike

The hike to the Vanderwhacker Mountain Fire Tower starts about a mile beyond where Moose Club Road crosses Vanderwhacker Brook, roughly 3.1 miles from NY 28N at Boreas River. The road is not maintained in the winter and can be very soft past Vanderwhacker Brook and Railroad Tracks.

Vanderwhacker Firetower: 5.2 miles

Vanderwhacker Firetower Trail

Less Muddy Section of Moose Club Way

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The trail starts out following an ol logging road, that winds through birch, beech, and maple trees, crossing several small streams. There are some small wooden bridges, however this part of the trail can be muddy. Then as you start the first real ascent of trail, where you reach an old long abandoned Fire Observer Cabin and dump. There also is an a historical marker that reminds visitors of the wilderness rangers who once lived on the mountain full-time to safeguard the surrounding valley from forest fires. The trail switches back, the real mountain climb starts.

Junk by Old Ranger's Garage

Missing Door on Outhouse

Over the course of the final mile, hikers must navigate a staircase of exposed tree roots, loose rocks, and large stone slabs that require careful footwork and steady pacing. As the elevation increases, the surrounding hardwood forest transitions into a dense boreal ecosystem dominated by fragrant balsam fir and red spruce. The air grows noticeably cooler, and the physical exertion intensifies, making the occasional flat ledge a welcome spot to pause, catch one’s breath, and glimpse the surrounding valleys through the thickening trees. You are close to the submit, with about a half mile gentle climb to the top.

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When you emerge at the base of the tower, there are no views. But the short, relatively recently restored 35-foot tower is just high enough to get you an excellent view of the surrounding country. Outstanding views of the High Peaks are looming to the north, the sprawling Boreas Ponds tract below, and countless rolling green ridges fading into the blue horizon as you look to the rolling wild forest to the south and east.

Tower Windows

South