"US could be writing its own losing ticket": Amazon warns against 100+ AI data center bans as it pledges $1 billion to defuse AI backlash

Amazon says over 100 pending proposed moratoriums could threaten America's lead in AI Amazon pledges over $1 billion across five years to data center communities Amazon abandons Maryland data center campus beside Calvert Cliffs after community opposition Amazon has warned that mounting resistance to

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Amazon says over 100 pending proposed moratoriums could threaten America's lead in AI</strong></li><li><strong>Amazon pledges over $1 billion across five years to data center communities</strong></li><li><strong>Amazon abandons Maryland data center campus beside Calvert Cliffs after community opposition</strong></li></ul><p>Amazon has warned that mounting resistance to AI data centers could weaken the United States' ability to maintain its lead in a rapidly developing technology race.</p><p>More than 100 proposed moratoriums on new facilities are under consideration across the country, creating another obstacle for companies expanding computing capacity.</p><p>Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman argued that restricting data center construction would hurt the country's competitiveness in AI.</p><h2 id="data-center-opposition-could-cost-the-us">Data center opposition could cost the US</h2><p>Residents and lawmakers increasingly question electricity demand, water consumption, environmental effects and the benefits delivered by large computing facilities.</p><p>“If these measures are enacted, the U.S. could be writing its own losing ticket to this race, and the consequences would last generations,” said Matt Garman, Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO.</p><p>The concern for Amazon is that local restrictions could slow the expansion of computing infrastructure needed to support the country’s AI ambitions.</p><p>Amazon is now attempting to address some of those concerns through its "Built Together" program.</p><p>The program is offering more than $1 billion over five years to communities where its <a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/best-data-center-proxies">data centers</a> operate.</p><p>The initiative will support community college education, workforce preparation, energy improvements and grants for projects chosen with local input.</p><p>Amazon expects the education funding to reach more than 300,000 students over five years by covering college costs not met through existing financial assistance.</p><p>Its hands-on training network is also expected to grow from three facilities to 25 by the end of 2028, potentially serving 100,000 workers annually.</p><p>Additional grants will support efficiency projects affecting more than 30,000 homes alongside 300 schools and other public facilities.</p><p>The spending comes against a backdrop of increasingly unfavourable public attitudes toward data center development across the United States.</p><h2 id="maryland-deal-shows-another-route-around-power-constraints">Maryland deal shows another route around power constraints</h2><p>Amazon’s approach extends beyond community investment, with the company also pursuing additional electricity through existing nuclear generation.</p><p>The company recently abandoned plans for a Maryland data center campus beside the Calvert Cliffs nuclear facility following opposition from the surrounding community.</p><p>Rather than ending its relationship with the site, Amazon agreed with Constellation Energy to increase electricity production at the nuclear plant.</p><p>The project will add 190 MW to the regional grid, enough electricity for approximately 147,000 homes.</p><p>In return, Constellation could supply Amazon with as much as 690 MW over the longer term from its broader generation portfolio.</p><p>The companies will also examine whether additional reactors could eventually be developed at the Calvert Cliffs site.</p><p>The Maryland arrangement gives Amazon another way to secure electricity without relying entirely on new data center construction beside existing power facilities.</p><p>That distinction matters as electricity availability increasingly becomes part of the dispute surrounding the rapid expansion of AI computing infrastructure.</p><p>Amazon has also stopped using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies involved in data center projects, following scrutiny over such arrangements.</p><p>The company said local officials should communicate openly with residents about developments affecting their communities and public resources.</p><p>Amazon is confronting data center resistance through several channels, but whether these measures can reduce opposition remains uncertain. </p><p>Via <a href="https://qz.com/amazon-data-center-community-investment-built-together-100226" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Quartz</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:676px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:31.51%;"><img id="diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78" name="tr-g_news" alt="Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="676" height="213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div></figure> 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