Switzerland is scattered with data centres. Massive server farms designed to keep running and keep our information safe.
As a backup – they all have diesel generators – which, if used in the reverse way they were designed to, could help plug the gap in case of a power shortage.
The Swiss Association of Data Centers told RTS that put together, all the generators have an output of a nuclear power station.
Many are already synchronized to the national grid – which means they can feed power back easily.
The General Manager of one of the centres, Roger Süess, says if they were called to provide power – they would at cost. He says it would not be an aim to make money. But he points out current regulations means they can’t run for more than 50 hours a year due to the noise – he says that will have to be lifted. He also says it will make sense to remove the tax on the fuel they’d use as well.
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