Microsoft has officially confirmed plans to build what it says will be the largest and most powerful datacenter in the world in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin—a location once tied to broken promises from past tech projects.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, announced on X that the new facility in Fairwater, Mount Pleasant, will be “ten times faster than the largest datacenter in the world.” The massive hub will host hundreds of thousands of Nvidia GB200 GPUs and rely on a fiber optic network stretching nearly 180,000 kilometers—enough to wrap around the Earth 4.5 times.
The project will reshape Wisconsin’s tech and economic landscape. Microsoft estimates about 3,000 construction workers will be employed during the build-out, with another 800 permanent jobs created to operate and maintain the complex once complete. The company is investing $3.3 billion in the first phase, followed by an additional $4 billion for a second complex, making it one of the largest tech investments in state history.
Mount Pleasant has faced skepticism after the Foxconn saga of 2017, when the Taiwanese manufacturer promised a massive LCD screen factory. Touted as the “eighth wonder of the world,” the project secured $3 billion in subsidies but ultimately produced just 281 jobs instead of the 30,000 initially promised.
Microsoft executives are framing this project as a chance to rewrite that narrative. Unlike Foxconn’s stalled plans, construction timelines and funding commitments are already locked in.
One of the biggest concerns around hyperscale datacenters is resource consumption. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, emphasized that the Mount Pleasant facility will be among the most efficient in the world.
The project has drawn excitement from leaders who see it as a way to restore Wisconsin’s technological prominence. However, not all reactions have been positive. Advocacy group Clean Wisconsin warned that the datacenter and another Microsoft facility in Port Washington could consume enough electricity to power 4.33 million homes—well above the 2.8 million households currently in the state.
Despite these concerns, Smith stressed Microsoft’s commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint. “This project is a unique opportunity for Wisconsin to lead in technology while doing so responsibly,” he said.
For Smith, the project has special meaning. Having grown up in Mount Pleasant, he sees the datacenter as both an economic catalyst and a personal way of giving back.
When complete, the Wisconsin complex will anchor Microsoft’s push into artificial intelligence and advanced cloud computing, while also positioning the state as a national hub for digital infrastructure.
For a region still carrying the scars of Foxconn’s unrealized promises, Microsoft’s datacenter represents both high expectations and high stakes. Whether it transforms Mount Pleasant into a lasting tech powerhouse will be watched closely in the years ahead.
Originally reported by Sandra V in Union Rayo.
.webp)
