Microsoft and Alphabet Address Growing Data-Center Opposition in the US
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Microsoft and Alphabet used climate events in New York to respond publicly to mounting criticism of rapid data-center expansion, focused on electricity tariffs, water use, employment and local regulation. Separately, Data Center Watch was cited as estimating that roughly 45 US data-center projects were blocked or delayed in the second quarter amid community and policy resistance.
- Microsoft said it is seeking to prevent data-center-related costs from being passed through to ordinary electricity consumers.
- Data Center Watch was cited as estimating that about 45 projects, valued at roughly $68 billion in aggregate, were blocked or delayed in the second quarter.
- Around 30 US state legislatures were reported to have proposed measures covering data-center siting, power and water use.
- Community acceptance, tariff allocation and water use could become material site-selection and schedule-risk factors.
- Grid-modernisation financing is gaining prominence alongside data-center power demand.
Microsoft and Alphabet publicly addressed the political and community response to accelerating data-center development during climate events in New York, as scrutiny of the sector broadens from grid capacity to the local effects of new campuses.
Microsoft said it is working to isolate data-center-related costs so they are not shifted onto ordinary electricity consumers. The company also highlighted workforce development and water-use efficiency. Alphabet pointed to the increasing politicisation of the issue during an election period.
According to Data Center Watch, as cited by the source, approximately 45 data-center projects with a combined total-project value of about $68 billion were blocked or delayed during the second quarter because of local resident opposition and policy-related factors. The source does not identify the projects, their development stages, capacity, locations or ultimate disposition; the figure should not be read as operational capacity lost or as confirmation that the projects have been cancelled.
The regulatory response is also broadening. The source reported that legislatures in around 30 US states have proposed measures concerning data-center siting, electricity and water use, with some measures adopted. In Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker said data-center approvals should require dedicated clean energy and closed-loop water systems.
Water remains a prominent component of the debate. Amazon said its data centers do not use water cooling 90% of the time, although this is a company statement rather than an independently verified operating assessment.
For developers, operators and capital providers, the emerging issue is not solely whether a site can secure grid interconnection and construction delivery. Local acceptance may become an independent determinant of site selection and schedule risk. Projects that can demonstrate transparent treatment of grid costs, lower water requirements, local employment benefits and secured clean-energy supply could have an advantage, although these factors do not guarantee permitting or delivery on the original timetable.
The trend also strengthens the investment case for grid modernisation and associated project finance. JPMorgan identified grid-modernisation financing as a central topic in client discussions, reflecting the connection between data-center demand growth and the need for network investment.
The constraints on data-center growth increasingly extend beyond power availability and construction capacity to the social licence to operate. Community opposition, tariff concerns, water use, zoning and political risk could extend development timelines and favour projects with credible grid-cost allocation, lower water demand and secured clean-energy arrangements.
- — / 23 сентября 2026 г. · КитайскийПервоисточник →
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