3M aligned with AMD, Arista Networks, Cisco, Meta, Molex and Oracle on fiber interconnect standards, while Microsoft separately lined up West Texas energy capacity for AI data center operations.
3M said on May 12, 2026 that it joined a Multi-Source Agreement coalition focused on Expanded Beam Optical connectivity for AI data centers, alongside AMD, Arista Networks, Cisco, Meta, Molex and Oracle. The group is working on open standards for EBO technology aimed at making fiber-optic links inside large data centers more reliable, faster and easier to maintain, while improving interoperability across equipment from different manufacturers. Separately, Microsoft signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Chevron for up to 2.67 GW of energy dedicated to AI data center operations in West Texas, a location highlighted for abundant land, favorable energy economics and access to both natural gas resources and expanding renewable energy capacity. The new information indicates the companies are pursuing parallel AI infrastructure efforts, and that there was no confirmed bilateral partnership between 3M and Microsoft regarding AI infrastructure as of July 2026.