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Comment by RobotToaster | original | Decade-old RAM is making a comeback
[−]RobotToaster · 2026-10-11 Sun 08:51 UTC · link
I imagine those countries have sane energy prices compared to Western Europe.
[−]cinntaile · 2026-10-11 Sun 09:12 UTC · link
Energy is a commodity so the price will be very similar for the same goods. What they tack on as taxes might be different.
[−]stefanfisk · 2026-10-11 Sun 09:25 UTC · link
Energy means electricity in this case, and the EU prices are about 2-3x those paid in China AFAIK, for both residential and commercial.
[−]doikor · 2026-10-11 Sun 10:07 UTC · link
EU is big and prices vary. (Transfer capacity is limited)

Afaik electricity is around 7c/kWh in China. I got 8c/kWh 2y contract a couple weeks ago here in Finland. Though have to add 4c/kWh for transfer to that (no clue if the Chinese prices I could find include that). Commercial prices are less then that (no VAT and possibly lower power tax bracket. The 8c includes all taxes/fees)

[−]stefanfisk · 2026-10-11 Sun 12:12 UTC · link
The cheapest price in Europe at best equaling the average price in China sounds like it just proves my point?
[−]mitxela · 2026-10-11 Sun 11:24 UTC · link
Electricity cannot be shipped from one place to another in bulk quantities.
[−]RunSet · 2026-10-11 Sun 11:28 UTC · link
And data can be.

Which is why I suspect most nominal "data centers" are fronts for crypto mining, an activity that seeks out the cheapest energy.

[−]gib444 · 2026-10-11 Sun 10:38 UTC · link
Me too.

EU average is just under 29c/kWh (non-contract price) [0]

In the UK I got 27.5c/kWh (+ 58c/day fixed charge) on an 18-month contract a month ago

[0] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php...

[−]b112 · 2026-10-11 Sun 11:18 UTC · link
I think in Quebec they've been paying me to use power.
[−]Hamuko · 2026-10-11 Sun 11:35 UTC · link
My thought was that the EU average can't be that high, but apparently Finland is just the outlier here.
[−]DoctorOetker · 2026-10-11 Sun 12:12 UTC · link
Regardless if the market allows consumers access to negative solar prices or not, consumers can attach solar panels to their servers (independent of the grid), so the LLM is there when the sun is shining.