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Microsoft president Brad Smith on Tuesday promised that the company will pay more for electricity and will subsidize the expansion of the electrical grid in an attempt to head off higher costs for individual households. The company’s promise follows growing concern about new data centers driving up people’s electricity bills.
“We will pay our way as a company to ensure our data centers don’t increase your electricity bill,” Smith said at a Washington, D.C. event Tuesday morning alongside lawmakers and union leaders.
Microsoft also promised to reduce how much water its data centers use by 40% by 2030; to invest in local jobs and skilling programs where it builds data centers; and said it wouldn’t ask local municipalities to grant it tax breaks for new data center projects.
The announcement comes amid growing political opposition to new data centers, with candidates in this year’s midterm elections seizing on fears about rising electricity costs. Local governments in states like Virginia and Pennsylvania have already moved to block the construction of new data centers in recent months. President Donald Trump heralded Microsoft’s pledge in a social media post on Monday night, stating that Microsoft had been working with the White House on its announcement.
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techcrunch.com/2026/01/13..
