Global technology giant Microsoft has revealed that it is in the final phases of building Fairwater, one of its most powerful AI data centers, in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Microsoft said that it was on track to complete construction and bring this AI datacenter online in early 2026, fulfilling its initial US$ 3.3 billion investment pledge.
In a statement, Scott Guthrie, EVP, Cloud & AI, Microsoft, Microsoft shed light on the sheer scale of this mammoth project saying, “The new Fairwater AI datacenter in Wisconsin stands as a remarkable feat of engineering, covering 315 acres and housing three massive buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet under roofs. Constructing this facility required 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.”
Furthermore, in an official blog, Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft said that the company was also committing to spend an additional US$ 4 billion over the next three years to build its second data center of similar size and scale. This would bring its total investment in Wisconsin to more than US$ 7 billion.
Microsoft’s Wisconsin facility is also taking into account new challenges that AI data centers face vis-a-vis sustainability. “More than 90 percent of the facility will rely on a state-of-the-art closed-loop liquid cooling system, filled during construction and recirculated continuously. The remaining portion of the facility will use outside air for cooling, switching to water only on the hottest days, minimizing environmental impact and maximizing operational efficiency,” said Smith. The company is also building a 250 MW solar project in Portage County.
The facility also aims to generate more jobs for the local population. “At its peak, we have employed more than 3,000 construction workers during daily peak activity, including electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, carpenters, structural iron and steel workers, concrete workers, and Earth movers. Once our first datacenter is fully operational, we will employ around 500 full-time employees, with that number growing to around 800 once the second datacenter is complete.”
Microsoft aims to make this Wisconsin facility the place where the next generation of AI will be trained, setting the stage for breakthroughs in medicine, science, and other critical fields.