Shut up and take our money: Amazon plows $1B into quashing datacenter dissent

Amazon is pouring $1 billion over the next five years to combat growing opposition to its datacenters from local residents. The company unveiled the investment in a blog post packed with whataboutism, attempting to convince readers that datacenters aren't as bad as people think and that support for their development is crucial. The program focuses on education, job training, local infrastructure improvements, and sustainability initiatives in communities hosting Amazon datacenters.

The move is crucial geopolitically, as various countries are reportedly spreading misinformation about datacenters to influence US policy. Over 100 datacenter moratoriums are currently under consideration across the country, which could significantly impact the US economy if enacted. Amazon claims datacenters will transform the US economy much like the highway system did in the 1950s, but this can only happen if people don't block their development due to unfounded fears.

The blog post tackles four myths about datacenters. The first myth is that datacenters consume excessive amounts of water. Amazon argues that concerns should be directed towards golf courses, which use 200 times more water than their facilities. However, this argument is undermined by the popularity of golf courses. Amazon also disputes claims that typical datacenters consume 5 million gallons of water daily, stating their facilities use only 13,000 gallons, equivalent to the consumption of 42 US households.

Nonetheless, it's important to note that some datacenters consume large amounts of water, while others may use more power to compensate. This brings up another point of contention for local residents. Amazon also addresses fears that datacenters will raise power bills for nearby residents. The company argues that increasing rates are due to the aging US grid and that datacenter operators collaborate with utilities to ensure fair distribution of costs.

However, the impact of datacenters on air quality due to diesel backup generators is another concern. Amazon claims that these generators rarely run, but this may not reassure residents in power-constrained regions where temporary gas turbines are deployed when needed. Finally, Amazon emphasizes the economic benefits of datacenters for communities, highlighting that they are often the largest taxpayers in an area.

Despite this, Amazon's $1 billion investment raises questions about the necessity of such efforts, given the significant tax revenue already generated by these facilities.