TechTECH UPDATE

Orkut revival: batteries now undercut gas at data centers

Batteries have become cheaper than the natural gas turbines powering many data centers, as surging demand drives infrastructure costs higher.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Late Night BBN
Published 11:49 PM ET, Friday, October 9, 2026

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TechCrunchRemember Orkut? Its founder wants to bring it back
TechCrunchBatteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAs we told you earlier, Orkut's founder wants his old social network back, now aimed at algorithms and AI-generated content, per TechCrunch.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentBro, a social network with no algorithm. Finally, a feed that's just a stranger in Brazil saying hello nine times. I'm in.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNow something with a battery.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentTechCrunch says batteries are now cheaper than the natural gas turbines many data centers use, as the data center boom pushes prices up.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the cheap thing is the one that doesn't explode when I plug in my vape. Nina, that's a glow-up.