Microsoft Completes First Mount Pleasant Data Center

Microsoft has completed construction on its first data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, bringing the facility fully online with nearly 550 employees on site. The completion marks the operational start of a $4.7 billion investment cycle planned through 2028 for hyperscale construction in the state.

Operational status and scale

The facility, referred to by Microsoft as the Fairwater datacenter, moved its equipment online and conducted startup activities in April [2]. Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith claimed the campus houses the "world’s most powerful supercomputer" and will power global artificial intelligence innovation [2]. The company and its contractors are actively hiring, with nearly 550 full-time staff currently supporting the site [2]. Local officials, including Mount Pleasant Village President David DeGroot, characterized the development as a historic milestone for Racine County [2].

Expansion and regional impact

Construction is already underway on a second adjacent facility, which Microsoft expects to complete in 2028 and increase the local workforce to approximately 800 employees [2]. This initial phase is part of a broader push: the Mount Pleasant Village Board unanimously approved site plans for an expansion that includes 15 additional data centers across two new campuses [3]. The expansion is valued at more than $13 billion, adding to the over $7 billion Microsoft is investing in the two existing campuses [3]. The company reports it has already purchased goods and services from 29 businesses across 11 Wisconsin counties [2].

What to watch

• Completion of the second Mount Pleasant facility, targeted for 2028.
• Development timeline for the 15 additional data centers recently approved.
• Growth of the local workforce toward the projected 800 full-time employees.

The operational launch establishes Wisconsin as a key node in Microsoft’s AI infrastructure strategy, though the massive proposed expansion signals the project is still in its early stages.