Why Amazon and Microsoft Are Taking Communities’ Side Against Utilities

Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle and other AI data center developers are sweetening financial offers to municipalities and regulators to gain approval for new facilities. They’re also getting smarter about standing up for consumers against utilities that have proposed to make the public pay for some of the cost of handling new electricity loads.

The tech giants still face years of local fights as activists ignore the money offered and ramp up their objections, but the companies are offering more tangible benefits instead of just refining their messages in information wars.