Microsoft announced a five-point strategy called “Community First AI Infrastructure” for communities where it builds AI data centers. The company said it will absorb higher utility rates, pay for the electricity its data centers consume, and fund local grid upgrades to avoid passing costs to households. Microsoft also said it will reduce water use intensity by 40% by 2030, pay full local property taxes without seeking tax breaks, and partner with North America’s Building Trades Unions and other organizations to train local workers. Microsoft said it plans to begin implementing the initiative in the first half of 2026, starting in the U.S., and cited International Energy Agency forecasts that U.S. data center electricity demand could more than triple by 2035.