Washington – Today the Microsoft corporation announced a new Community-First AI Infrastructure initiative, which it claims will commit it to being a “good neighbor in the communities where it builds, owns and operates data centers.”

In response, Food & Water Watch’s managing director of policy and litigation, Mitch Jones, issued the following statement:

“Let’s be clear: The data center industry isn’t going to regulate itself for the benefit of anyone but itself. And with the Trump administration being all in on the shiny promises coming out of Silicon Valley, it’s imperative we halt new data center construction now. We must take the time to truly study the full range of impacts of data centers in our local communities – as well as AI in our society at large – to determine if this industry can even be regulated so that people aren’t harmed and any benefits that theoretically arise are shared among us all – not just swallowed up in profits for billionaires and Wall Street bankers.

“But that is a big “if” and right now no one – literally no one – knows if it is possible. Any elected official who is listening to their constituents in these communities should recognize this for what it is: corporate greenwashing intended to give them cover to do Big Tech’s bidding. We say enough is enough.”

In a letter sent to Congress last month, more than 230 national, state and local organizations from across the country called for a full nationwide moratorium on the approval and construction of new data centers. The letter cites massive and unsustainable consumption by data centers of energy and water resources, and skyrocking utility costs for families and small businesses. The letter was facilitated by the national environmental group Food & Water Watch, and signed by organizations including Physicians for Social Responsibility, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Progressive Democrats of America, Our Revolution and Americans for Financial Reform.