Amazon’s cloud division, AWS, announced it will invest more than $1 billion in U.S. communities that host its data centers. The investment will span five years.
The move comes amid growing opposition from residents concerned about data centers’ environmental impact, including their high demand for electricity and water.
The funds will support local projects, including job training, energy affordability programs and infrastructure upgrades. AWS CEO Matt Garman said opposition, which he attributed to misinformation, threatens U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
AWS said more than 100 data center moratoriums are being considered across the country.