Microsoft’s growing presence in Wisconsin 

We are excited to announce our plan to expand investments in the state of Wisconsin by growing our digital infrastructure footprint, a move we believe will bring significant benefits to the surrounding communities and the entire state. Microsoft is proud to partner with Wisconsin as it continues to grow as a leading hub for innovation and technology in the U.S. and beyond. Wisconsin’s unique qualities, including significant infrastructure, and the recent state designation as a U.S. regional technology hub, make it an ideal place for us to develop datacenters and cloud technologies.

Project overview

Earlier this year, we announced our plan to construct new datacenters in the City of Mount Pleasant, and today we are sharing our intent to invest billions in the development of additional facilities and cloud infrastructure in the surrounding areas. This expansion approach is consistent with our development of other datacenter regions in Arizona, Virginia, Iowa, and elsewhere.

Construction is already underway for our first datacenter in Mount Pleasant. We expect this work will create both construction jobs and full-time positions in the future, as well as generate billions of dollars in capital investment and related tax revenue.  As part of our commitment to being a good neighbor, Microsoft has held several public meetings and discussions with the residents and officials of Mount Pleasant and Racine County to share our plans, invite feedback and answer questions.

Local community partnerships

When Microsoft joins a community, we bring our mission of empowering people and organizations to achieve more.  We are committed to providing digital skill-building opportunities for job seekers as well as learning from and investing in areas that matter most to residents.  During the datacenter planning process, we have listened to local priorities and have started working on various projects. We have committed $4,200,000 to restore approximately 1.5 miles of Lamparek Creek. In addition, in this first year, we are committing $500,000 to support local community projects. Our partnerships with Root-Pike WIN, United Way of Racine County, and Gateway Technical College exemplify this commitment, and we’re just getting started.

• Root-Pike WIN: Investment will be used for ten key watershed restoration projects in Racine and Kenosha counties including projects in the Village of Mount Pleasant.
• United Way of Racine County: Funding will support targeted community focus areas including:
  • STEM Education and digital literacy programs for Racine County residents.
  • Return-to-work and skill building for job seeking adults.
  • Support of local nonprofit organizations, schools, and underserved groups in Racine County.
• Gateway Technical College: Our support will help create the first Datacenter Academy in Wisconsin.

Looking ahead

Wisconsin has prepared itself for great things, and we are eager to be part of its growth as a Midwest tech hub. We appreciate the warm welcome we’ve received over the last several months and have enjoyed getting to know the community and its officials. We believe that by working together with the local authorities, stakeholders, and neighbors, we can create a positive and lasting impact on the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the region. We look forward to being part of Wisconsin’s bright future.