Amazon commits 1 billion dollars to data center communities
Amazon.com Inc has announced a commitment to invest over US$1 billion in US communities that host its data centers over the next five years. The initiative, called the Built Together program, aims to fund free community college degrees, trades training, and energy-efficiency upgrades for schools and homes. Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief Matt Garman pledged that the company's data centers would not drive up local electricity bills and promised annual transparency on energy and water use.
Garman also revealed that AWS would stop using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies, a practice that has sparked controversy among opponents of data center construction. Microsoft Corp had previously made a similar move in March. Garman framed the data center expansion as a national security priority, comparing it to the construction of the 1950s interstate highway system. He warned that over 100 local moratoriums under consideration nationwide could hinder the US's competitiveness in the AI race.
The blog post addressed what Garman termed as myths about data centers, denying claims that they increase power costs, deplete water supplies, or cause pollution from diesel fumes. He suggested that some countries might be spreading misinformation to slow down data center construction in the US, an argument also made by US President Donald Trump’s administration. However, disinformation researchers and fact-checkers argue that such claims overstate the role of foreign influence in a grassroots movement that spans political spectra and nearly every US state.
Trump, a vocal supporter of data center expansion, has cautioned that communities rejecting these facilities could face economic decline. Amazon’s rivals, including Microsoft and OpenAI, have also made pledges to mitigate the impact of data centers, such as covering power costs and stopping requests for local tax breaks. In March, several major tech firms signed a White House pledge to provide their own power for new data centers and fund necessary grid upgrades.