Open Threads

These are the questions still open. Each one has been identified as answerable through public records, primary sources, or documented reporting, which is what separates an open thread from a hunch.

Does the national 4% figure survive being added up from the bottom?

Sum reported capacities of known hyperscale facilities nationally, convert to annual consumption, compare to LBNL’s 176 TWh figure. If the bottom-up number materially exceeds the top-down figure, that discrepancy is itself one of the most important findings in the project. Remember: the LBNL figure excludes crypto mining and may exclude self-generation.

Who Paid for the $9M TVA Gallatin Transmission Line

TVA proposed a dedicated 161kV line in 2021 specifically to service Meta’s facility. TVA project filings and public utility commission records should answer whether this was charged to Meta or socialized across ratepayers. This is an open-records request away from being resolved.

Gallatin Residential Rates, Pre and Post Meta

Did Gallatin residential customers see rate increases during Meta’s 2020 to 2024 construction and buildout? EIA Form 861, TVA wholesale rate history, Tennessee Comptroller filings, and Wayback Machine archived utility rate pages are the records to pull.

Tennessee Data Center Inventory, Hard MW Numbers

Build a bottom-up Tennessee-specific load figure from known facilities. Data Center Map lists ~60 to 61 statewide; Nashville area ~27 as of late 2025; Gallatin alone has 7 (primarily Meta). Cross-check against TVA’s ~10% of total load figure.

TVA Board Firings: Who, Why, and Who Benefits

Trump fired TVA board members in early 2026. The data-center rate class stalled. Who was fired? What were their documented positions on the rate class? Who replaced them? What industry connections do the replacements have? This is entirely public record.

Legacy Industry Comparison, The Full Accounting

The “data centers use less than chemical manufacturing” argument needs to be answered on its own terms: What GDP contribution do those legacy industries generate per MW? How many jobs per MW? How long did they take to ramp up energy requirements? What tax incentives did they receive? What rate-shifting mechanisms applied? This cannot be fairly used or dismissed without these answers.

Real Economic Benefit Breakdown, Meta Gallatin Specifically

Construction vs. operational employment. Specific PILOT agreement terms. Actual property tax contribution once discounts phase out. How tax revenue accounting works for a facility serving a worldwide customer base. The $4.1M annual TN foregone revenue figure needs independent verification. It almost certainly understates the real number post-2020.

Hendersonville Placer.ai Contract Terms

The contract exists, confirmed. The specific term (three years) and dollar amount are unverified via independent public records. A public-records request to the City of Hendersonville resolves this quickly.

TVA August 2026 Board Meeting, Real-Time Monitoring

The new data-center rate class proposal goes to the board in August 2026. Given the board composition change, monitoring whether this passes, stalls again, or is modified is worth following in real time.