Microsoft Says It Will 'Pay Its Own Way' for Data Center Power

Nov 12, 2026
Microsoft cloud operations chief Noelle Walsh says the company does not want other electricity customers paying for its data center growth.

Microsoft plans to keep building data centers without passing the cost of new power on to other electricity customers, Seeking Alpha reports. "We don't want other customers to be paying for our growth," said Noelle Walsh, Microsoft's president of cloud operations, on Wednesday.

The statement extends the community-first plan Microsoft set out in January 2026, under which it pledged to cover the electricity costs and grid upgrades tied to its AI data center projects, Crypto Briefing reports. Walsh oversees Microsoft's global data center strategy and a team of about 15,000 people.

Data center power costs have become a political issue across the US. Utilities usually spread grid upgrade costs across all customers, and residents near proposed sites have raised concerns about higher bills. Microsoft has also turned down an option to significantly expand capacity with Nscale while keeping its existing contracts with the company.

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