As new datacenters are built, communities are asking a fair question. Who should pay for the electricity and grid improvements they require? We believe the companies that build and run them should pay their own way, not the family down the street. When the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada asked for ideas on meeting new demand, Microsoft offered the Ratepayer Protection Tariff. From day one, this proposal keeps their costs separate from household bills, so utilities can build faster and investment stays local. Other states can use this model too, and we’ll work with communities and regulators to make it fit. Scroll through to see how it works.
Microsoft On the Issues
Technology, Information and Internet
Redmond, Washington 98,345 followers
News & perspectives on today's pressing tech issues, AI, sustainability, security and more for #Microsoft. 👇
About us
News and perspectives on the future of tech, public policy and philanthropic topics for #Microsoft. ➡️ https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/
- Website
-
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/
External link for Microsoft On the Issues
- Industry
- Technology, Information and Internet
- Company size
- 10,001+ employees
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington
- Specialties
- technology, government affairs, AI and Data, privacy, cybersecurity, tech news, tech issues, accessibility, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, digital skilling, AI, Affordable Housing, Public Affairs, tech executives, responsible AI, and AI ethics
Updates
-
Humanitarian work has gone digital. Its protections should too. The Digital Emblem is an initiative championed by The International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC to help identify protected humanitarian and medical organizations in cyberspace. Microsoft is proud to support this effort. ➡️ Swipe through to learn more
-
What does transparency look like in practice? In this edition of Sustainably Speaking, Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Melanie Nakagawa explores how our commitment to transparency is core to our sustainability journey. What’s inside: 🔍 Why we're sharing more sustainability data, including datacenter water and electricity use by metro-level region 📍 How local projects contribute to global sustainability progress 📊 Where we've made progress, and where work remains Read and subscribe for perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping sustainable progress.
-
Microsoft On the Issues reposted this
As AI becomes a bigger part of how people create, communicate, and understand the world, it's essential that people with disabilities are represented accurately, authentically, and with dignity. The images AI generates today influence how society sees disability and how people with disabilities see themselves. That's why I'm excited about the Community Library Creator, a Microsoft Research project that gives disability communities a structured way to shape how they’re represented in AI and help shape the data behind it. What makes it meaningful is that it wasn't built for the disability community; it was built by the disability community. People help create, select, and annotate the images, defining for themselves what authentic representation looks like. They also retain control of the data, including whether to share it or remove it. This work helps address a longstanding gap in AI systems, which have too often overlooked or inaccurately portrayed people with disabilities. More importantly, it demonstrates a principle I believe is fundamental to AI: the people most affected by technology should have a voice in shaping it. Community-led efforts like this move us beyond inclusion as an afterthought and toward AI that better reflects the diversity of human experience. Read how communities are taking charge of AI data: https://lnkd.in/guk2Xirf Christina Mallon Ioana Tanase Anja Thieme #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #ResponsibleAI #InclusiveInnovation #AIforAccessibility
-
Open-weight models play an important role in building a strong, open AI ecosystem. By expanding access, choice and control, open-weight models can help more people and organizations benefit from AI while accelerating innovation across industries and communities. Today, more than 20 companies have come together to outline a path for open-weight models to strengthen American competitiveness and expand economic opportunity, while protecting national security. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exnabMPZ
-
What does sustainability look like on the ground? From restoring wetlands in New Zealand and protecting habitats in South Korea to expanding internet access in Kenya and supporting water resilience in Arizona, people around the world are working together to address local environmental and community challenges. As part of Microsoft’s 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report, we're introducing a new interactive map that brings together stories from communities, nonprofits, researchers, and organizations across the globe. Explore projects focused on: 💧 Water 🌱 Ecosystems ♻️ Waste ⚡ Carbon 🌐 Connectivity 🏘️ Datacenter communities Take a look and discover the people, partnerships, and places driving progress around the world. https://msft.it/6040vfTqE
-
What happens when you ask six experts the same questions about AI? You get six different answers. That's the heart of this month's Spotlight on AI. What’s inside: 💡 Expert perspectives from Microsoft AI Economy Institute on who is benefiting from AI, and where gaps remain 🏢 New research on how early AI adopters are shaping the future of work 📊 Data and trends that help explain how AI is spreading around the world 🌍 Real-world examples of AI supporting communities, scientific discovery, and accessibility As AI adoption grows, the choices we make today will help shape who has access to its opportunities tomorrow. Read the latest edition and subscribe for future updates.
-
Microsoft On the Issues reposted this
The AP Fund for Journalism today announced funding from Microsoft to strengthen Washington state's local news ecosystem ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Through this support, APFJ will provide 10 local newsrooms across the state with elections coverage and resources from The Associated Press, helping them deliver trusted, fact-based information about the races and issues that matter most to their communities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ehaSPmPp
-
Cybercrime runs on more than threats alone. It depends on a complex ecosystem of threat actors, services, and criminal networks designed to help attacks scale. Over the past nine months, the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) has disrupted five operations supporting different parts of that ecosystem, targeting the infrastructure, services, and tools attackers rely on. Learn more about the most recent disruptions and how the DCU is working to disrupt cybercrime at its source: https://msft.it/6041v0tJl
-
The Red Cross emblem helps protect humanitarian workers in the physical world. Now, a new effort aims to bring that same concept to cyberspace. Natasha Crampton, Vice President and Chief Responsible AI Officer at Microsoft, joined the International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC in Geneva for the launch of the next phase of the Digital Emblem initiative. As humanitarian and medical services become increasingly online, the Digital Emblem aims to help make existing protections more visible, recognizable, and actionable in cyberspace, turning long-standing humanitarian principles into practical tools for the digital age.
-