Microsoft is internally discussing the possibility of delaying or narrowing down one of its most important environmental commitments. The company once set a target that by 2030 it would use 100% of clean electricity hourly from the same grid to meet operating needs.
This is considered a much stricter goal than the annual energy balance form that many businesses are applying.
Microsoft has not publicly confirmed the change of targets. Answering TechCrunch, a company representative said that the company is still looking for solutions to maintain its annual clean energy contribution commitment.
Pressure on Microsoft stems from the booming AI investment wave globally. Data centers serving training and operating AI models consume huge amounts of electricity, causing energy demand to increase unprecedentedly.
Not only Microsoft, many technology giants such as Meta Platforms, Google or Apple are also facing similar challenges in their journey to achieve zero net emissions.
Last month, Microsoft said it was partnering with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to develop a large-scale natural gas power plant in West Texas, capable of providing up to 5 gigawatts of electricity.
This move shows that technology companies are increasingly relying on gas power to meet the soaring demand for AI.
However, Microsoft is still considered one of the most aggressive technology companies in the carbon emission reduction race. The company aims to eliminate more carbon from the atmosphere by 2030 than the emissions generated from its operations.
Part of Microsoft's environmental strategy comes from an internal carbon tax mechanism, aimed at promoting departments to use energy more efficiently and invest in renewable energy.
However, if the company has to relax its hourly clean electricity target, it could affect the environmental image that the company has built over the years.
In the context of data centers springing up rapidly, many communities have begun to protest due to concerns about pollution, high water consumption and the risk of high electricity prices.
If it cannot prove that AI projects operate on clean energy, Microsoft may face more difficulties in persuading the public to accept new data centers.
