Microsoft’s AI Data Centers: Who Really Pays When Big Tech Expands?

America faces a new battleground in its neighborhoods—not one of political rhetoric, but one shaped by sprawling artificial intelligence data centers. Microsoft, led by President Brad Smith, claims the tech industry should foot the full bill for these massive energy-guzzling facilities. But as local communities grapple with soaring utility costs and stressed water supplies, skepticism is growing: Are taxpayers really off the hook? Who Pays When Data Centers Drain Local Resources? Communities from Virginia to Wisconsin are sounding alarms over the hidden costs of Microsoft’s and other Big Tech firms’ relentless drive to build AI infrastructure. Electricity prices have surged...