With host communities across the U.S. turning against their gargantuan data centers, America’s technology giants are promising to take fewer taxpayer handouts, keep fewer secrets or shower more money onto the communities willing to allow the server warehouses.

The new raft of promises from the world’s richest companies comes as anti-data center sentiment has become a potent issue in the midterm elections, with control of Congress and 36 governors’ offices on the line.

Despite backing from President Donald Trump, the data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom have become politically toxic. Community opposition that blocks municipal permits has become a bottleneck, and tech giants could face even more challenges if voters next month elect more public officials who are skeptical of data centers.

The tech industry says it has gotten the message. In addition to ramping up financial incentives, officials with Google and Meta said in interviews with The Associated Press they are trying to address mistrust by being more transparent with communities where they would like to build.

Companies are also making pledges to reduce their impact on the environment and offering assurances that data centers will boost local property values — all while maintaining AI is a positive force for the American economy, despite its skeptics.

” “Early public consultation is increasingly a very important part of the process. We have done as much as we can to make sure communities are involved early on,” Thomas said. Earlier this month, Amazon rolled out its “Amazon Data Center Commitment,” including pledges to improve the environmental rating of its backup diesel generators and disclose more about its data centers’ energy and water use .

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