Microsoft expands data center 'biomimicry' as local pushback grows

Microsoft is expanding its 'biomimicry' program — landscaping data centers with native plants and restoring ecosystems — to more than 20 sites in the US and Germany. The move comes as communities push back against noise, tree clearing, and rising utility costs tied to hyperscale AI facilities.

• Program will cover 20+ sites in the US and Germany plus all new US projects
• Microsoft cut down over 2,600 trees on 33 acres in San Antonio in 2022
• Company funded a $4.2 million creek restoration in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
• Microsoft operates more than 300 data centers across 34 countries