US tech major Microsoft will invest $4bn over the next three years to construct a second AI data centre in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.
The additional financial commitment brings its total investment in the US state to more than $7bn.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
It follows the ongoing construction of a separate data centre at the same location, which has a budget exceeding $3bn. It is scheduled for completion in early 2026.
The construction of its first Mount Pleasant facility, dubbed Fairwater, will host “hundreds of thousands of the world’s most powerful Nvidia GPUs, operating in seamless clusters connected by enough fibre to wrap the planet four times over”, said vice-chair and president Brad Smith.
Microsoft stated that the processors will support training for frontier AI models and aim to deliver performance above current supercomputing systems.
The second site will be similar in size and scale to Fairwater, the company said.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataMicrosoft has partnered with Gateway Technical College to launch Wisconsin’s first Datacenter Academy, with a plan to train more than 1,000 students over five years for data centre roles.
Smith said that, together with more than 40 partners, including the United Way, the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Technical College System, it has supported AI training for 114,000 people statewide, including 1,400 in Racine County.
Microsoft noted that it has sponsored and helped open a manufacturing-focused AI Co-Innovation Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with partners including WEDC, Gateway Technical College and TitletownTech.
It added that the lab has supported 23 companies such as Regal Rexnord, Renaissant and BW Converting, including companies based in Racine County such as Wiscon Products.
The company said it has expanded broadband access to more than 9,300 rural residents and delivered next-generation service to 1,200 homes and businesses in Sturtevant.
It added that local companies will be able to collaborate with its engineers on AI projects and that students can pursue training for roles in operations and IT through regional programmes.
Recently, Microsoft announced a $30bn investment in AI infrastructure and operations in the UK from 2025 to 2028.
This is the company’s largest financial commitment in the UK, with $15bn designated for capital expenditures to improve the country’s cloud and AI infrastructure.
