Microsoft Wins Approval for Major Wisconsin Data Center Expansion

Microsoft Wins Approval for Major Wisconsin Data Center Expansion January 27, 2026 In a significant move underscoring the relentless demand for cloud and AI infrastructure, Microsoft has secured regulatory approval to dramatically expand its data center footprint in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The expansion highlights the strategic importance of the U.S. Midwest as a key battleground for hyperscale computing capacity. The Village Board of Mount Pleasant formally approved the tech giant's proposal on January 26, granting permission for the construction of 15 additional data center buildings. This new phase will be developed on land adjacent to Microsoft's existing campus, a site originally intended for a Foxconn manufacturing plant that failed to materialize at the expected scale. Microsoft will now utilize this previously stranded property, which it already owns. The approved plan involves two distinct clusters. On a parcel east of Interstate 94 and south of State Highway 11, Microsoft will build nine facilities, each spanning nearly 580,000 square feet. Directly north of that area, a second site will host six buildings, each measuring just over 568,000 square feet. This approval marks the latest step in a multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment by Microsoft in Racine County. The company first broke ground on its "Project Fairwater" campus in 2023 and later gained approval for a 1,000-acre expansion. To date, Microsoft has invested $3.3 billion in the project and announced in September 2025 its intention to pour an additional $4 billion into the Wisconsin site over the following three years. The scale of the ongoing development is immense. The existing 315-acre Fairwater site already comprises three buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet under roof, constructed using 46.6 miles of foundation piles and 26.5 million pounds of steel. A company spokesperson, commenting earlier this month on a temporary construction pause for design reevaluation, stated there was no belief the overall project scope would change. The new approval for 15 buildings confirms that assessment and signals a substantial scaling-up of plans. This expansion solidifies Microsoft's commitment to the region and repurposes a high-profile tract of land, providing economic stability to the local community. For the data center industry, it exemplifies the massive capital expenditure and land acquisition required to support the exponential growth of cloud services and artificial intelligence, with the Midwest offering attractive power, land, and connectivity options for such mega-campuses. Source: datacenterdynamics