Technology giants are facing growing opposition from host communities to data centers because of their energy, environmental and fiscal impacts. Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are promising greater transparency, financial incentives and earlier involvement in local consultations before projects are designed. Together, the four companies expect to spend more than $600 billion on capital projects this year, primarily on data-center construction in the United States. Meta and Amazon have each announced $1 billion for community incentives, while Google expects local investments in data-center communities to reach $1 billion by the end of 2027. Local opposition has become a major electoral issue, with control of Congress and 36 governorships at stake in the midterm elections.
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