US EditionMicrosoft Vows to Cover Full Power Costs for Energy-Hungry AI Data Centers
Microsoft commits to covering full electricity costs, replenishing more water than used, and enhancing community transparency and workforce training for AI data centers.
- On Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Microsoft unveiled the Community-First AI Infrastructure Plan, pledging to pay full power costs, reject local property-tax breaks, and replenish more water than it uses.
- Amid rising local electricity and water concerns, Smith said Microsoft developed the plan since September after visits to Wisconsin and data-center hubs facing scrutiny from three Democratic senators last month.
- Technically, Microsoft is deploying closed-loop cooling design in Wisconsin and Georgia and targets a 40% water-use improvement by 2030, citing a $25 million investment in Leesburg, Va.
- Microsoft says it will implement the commitments in the first half of 2026 after last month three Democratic senators launched an investigation, and President Trump posted Monday praising Microsoft as `first up`.
- Departing from past secrecy, Microsoft aims to set a higher industry bar by opposing electricity subsidies while supporting federal help on permitting and land access amid data-center growth.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Microsoft vows to limit data center energy costs
US tech giants, under pressure from politicians and communities, vowed to take more aggressive steps to keep their data centers from hiking electricity costs. Microsoft’s president said Tuesday that the company will pay utility rates that are high enough to cover their energy costs, replenish more water than the facilities use, and add to local tax bases where it has data centers. Google, which recently bought an energy developer, is pushing fed…
Microsoft Says Americans Won’t Pay Higher Electricity Costs for Its AI Data Centers
Microsoft said on Jan. 13 that consumers will not pay more for their energy bills when the tech titan establishes data centers in communities across the United States. In a blog post on the company’s website, Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president and vice chair, outlined a five-point community-first artificial intelligence (AI) plan. “We’ll pay our way to ensure our datacenters don’t increase your electricity prices,” Smith wrote. The software maker…
SCOOP: Microsoft's Brad Smith rolls out ‘Community-First AI Infrastructure’ with praise from Trump, Congress
Microsoft’s President Brad Smith announced a new framework for how the tech company will build and operate artificial-intelligence (AI) data centers across the United States, including a commitment to absorb infrastructure and energy costs to make sure consumers are not paying more in electric bills over increased demand for Microsoft’s data center. The initiative was unveiled in a speech on Tuesday to a Washington, D.C. audience of policymaker…
Microsoft vows to cover full power costs for energy-hungry AI data centers
On Tuesday Microsoft announced a new initiative called "Community-First AI Infrastructure" that commits the company to paying full electricity costs for its data centers and refusing to seek local property tax reductions. As demand for generative AI services has increased over the past year, Big Tech companies have been racing to spin up massive new data centers for serving chatbots and image generators that can have profound economic effects on…
Microsoft responds to AI data center revolt, vowing to cover full power costs and reject local tax breaks
The tech giant's new "community first" initiative includes pledges to pay full power costs, reject local tax breaks, and replenish more water than it uses — a response to growing backlash against AI infrastructure expansion.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
