Data Barns in a Farm Town, Gobbling Power and Flexing Muscle

That's some loophole! Pay a $210,000 contractual fine for buying less power than estimated, or spend $70,000 achieving that estimate... in three days... with a space heater.

>>In an attempt to erase a $210,000 penalty the utility said the company owed for underestimating its power use, Microsoft proceeded to simply waste millions of watts of electricity, records show. Then it threatened to continue burning power in what it acknowledged was an “unnecessarily wasteful” way until the fine was substantially cut, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

It is ironic that Microsoft is trying to promote a green and caring image of itself, while arrogantly employing these wasteful tactics.