Microsoft says it won’t drive up electricity cost near its data centers

The proliferation of AI data centers across the country has raised concerns about increasing electricity prices, the impact on local water supplies, and whether the facilities actually benefit the communities in which they are built. Now Microsoft (MSFT) says it’s taking steps to address those issues with what it refers to as its community-driven AI plan. President Brad Smith unveiled the effort in a speech in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, laying out how the company will work to ensure it doesn’t negatively ...