Microsoft has warned investors about the risks associated with "community opposition, local moratoriums and hyper-local dissent" to its extensive data center expansion plans. The warning was disclosed in a recent earnings report filing under operational risks. 

The company, along with peers like Google and Meta, is investing heavily in data center infrastructure to support its cloud computing and AI businesses, with capital expenditures reaching almost $35 billion in its most recent quarter. 

However, community resistance is growing due to concerns about data centers' high electricity and water consumption, potential for increased local power bills, and strain on the power grid. 

Specific instances of this opposition include:

• Microsoft dropping plans for a data center site in Wisconsin after area residents and local officials voiced their opposition.

• Protests in New Mexico against a facility that Oracle plans to rent for OpenAI's computing needs. 

Microsoft stated in its filing that such opposition "may impede or delay infrastructure development". This new risk factor highlights a growing challenge for the tech giant as it continues its massive global expansion of physical infrastructure

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