Wisconsin's AI Leap
Microsoft Opens First Fairwater Data Center in Wisconsin, Hosting World's Most Powerful Supercomputer
Key Points
Brad Smith described the Mount Pleasant campus as hosting the world's most powerful supercomputer.
The first data center was completed ahead of schedule and is fully operational, with startup activities occurring in April before going live.
The Mount Pleasant Fairwater campus required substantial construction work, including 46.6 miles of deep foundation piles, 26.5 million pounds of structural steel, 120 miles of medium-voltage underground cable, and 72.6 miles of mechanical piping.
A second, adjacent data center is under construction with a projected finish in 2028; expansion plans have grown to a 1,000-acre development, approval for 15 additional data center buildings as of January 2026, and the company purchased a 160-acre parcel for about $43 million.
Microsoft projects $4.7 billion in hyperscale construction spending in Wisconsin from 2024 to 2028, with direct purchases from Wisconsin-based businesses; coverage notes involvement of 29 Wisconsin-based vendors across 11 counties.
Microsoft has officially opened its first Fairwater data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, completing construction ahead of schedule and declaring the facility fully operational in June 2026. The campus, which Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith calls home to "the world's most powerful supercomputer," now employs about 550 full-time workers WMTV15 News.
The opening marks a dramatic turnaround for a site once tied to the failed Foxconn LCD factory deal. Microsoft bought the initial 315 acres in 2023 for $50 million and has since poured billions into building one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure hubs in the country Data Center Dynamics.
Construction Numbers Behind the Fairwater Campus
The scale of what Microsoft built in Mount Pleasant is hard to overstate. Workers drove 46.6 miles of deep foundation piles into the ground. They used 26.5 million pounds of structural steel. They ran 120 miles of medium-voltage underground cable and 72.6 miles of mechanical piping Data Center Dynamics.
At peak construction, the site employed over 2,000 tradespeople. Startup activities — hardware integration and server testing — began in April 2026, weeks before the official launch. Microsoft says 29 Wisconsin-based vendors across 11 counties took part in the first phase of construction Wisconsin Public Radio.
A Second Facility Coming, Expansion Reaches 1,000 Acres
A second data center is already rising next to the first. Microsoft expects it to finish in 2028. When it opens, local employment will grow from 550 to roughly 800 full-time workers Wisconsin Public Radio. Mount Pleasant village officials approved a master plan in January 2026 for 15 additional data center buildings on the expanded campus.
The total development footprint has grown to 1,000 acres. Microsoft paid $43 million — about $268,000 per acre — for a recent 160-acre parcel to support that growth. The company projects $4.7 billion in hyperscale construction spending in Wisconsin from 2024 to 2028 Spectrum News 1.
From Foxconn's Failed Promise to Microsoft's AI Hub
The Mount Pleasant site was once supposed to be a Foxconn LCD factory. In 2017, Foxconn promised 13,000 jobs and nearly $3 billion in tax credits. The factory was never built. It left the village deep in debt from land purchases and infrastructure work Data Center Dynamics.
Microsoft stepped in during 2023. In May 2024, President Biden and Brad Smith announced a $3.3 billion investment plan at the site. Governor Tony Evers called it proof that "Wisconsin is a global player in the high-tech economy." Critics note that 550 to 800 jobs is still far fewer than the 13,000 once promised by Foxconn WMTV15 News.
Power Grid and Water Use Face Growing Scrutiny
Running a supercomputer at this scale demands enormous amounts of power and water. Local utility We Energies will face pressure to add capacity fast. Technology analysts say Microsoft chose Wisconsin partly because the cooler climate lowers cooling costs and the power grid is more stable than in hubs like Northern Virginia.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about the water the facility uses for cooling. Microsoft has responded by promising to return more water to the Lake Michigan basin than it consumes by 2030 — a goal the company calls "water positive" Spectrum News 1. Whether the grid and water commitments hold will be closely watched as the second facility nears completion in 2028.
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