Microsoft Vows Its Data Centers Won’t Boost Consumer Power Costs

Microsoft Corp. pledged to pay for the costs of building and using the electric-grid infrastructure required by its data centers, an attempt to head off customer anger that the energy-hungry facilities are driving up their power bills.

The company plans to collaborate with utilities to identify the electricity it requires, make data centers more efficient and reduce the amount of water the facilities use, President Brad Smith said in a blog post on Tuesday. Still, it’s unclear how Microsoft will achieve its goals.

“Our data center won’t lead to an increase in your electricity prices if you’re a neighbor in ...