Microsoft building a 5 plus billion dollar AI data center in Wisconsin

Microsoft has announced plans to build a massive AI data center for its new Fairwater AI data center. It is happening on the failed Foxconn LCD factory location. The building itself is to be over 1 million square feet loaded with Nvidia H200 GPU's in the thousands. The Fairwater AI data center will be potentially the largest in the world with raw AI computing power.

Photo of the NVidia massively expensive AI supercomputing chip. At around 100K each needing thousands of them.

The Wisconsin build is part of a broader plan, with Microsoft confirming that additional Fairwater data centers are already under construction across the U.S.

Sustainability at the Forefront
Microsoft has been keen to highlight the project’s environmental footprint, a growing concern as AI infrastructure is criticized for its intense energy and water demands. According to the company, the Fairwater facility will employ a closed-loop cooling system that needs to be filled only once and then sealed, eliminating water evaporation and minimizing waste.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, emphasized sustainability in the announcement, underscoring the company’s effort to balance massive AI expansion with environmental responsibility.

With the AI competition heating up Microsoft planning to build these massive AI data centers around the Country to handle the massive AI work loads. I would not be surprise they will not be doing something similar in Europe as the need is massive.