Microsoft just doubled down on Wisconsin. The company announced it will build a second $4 billion artificial intelligence data center in Racine County, bringing its total investment in the state to more than $7 billion. This expansion transforms a site once tied to Foxconn’s scaled-back factory plans into a cornerstone for the next wave of AI infrastructure. Beyond the headlines, the move signals a long-term bet on local talent, energy, and geography to support one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputers.
The scope is massive: hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips will be tied together to form this new AI hub, with the first facility already set to open next year. At full scale, the two centers will support around 800 permanent jobs—not the thousands once promised by Foxconn, but still meaningful roles for engineers, electricians, and operators in a region long hungry for sustainable tech growth. Add in the construction boom that comes first, and it’s clear this isn’t just a tech play; it’s an economic one.
Sustainability was also a centerpiece of Microsoft’s pitch. The facilities will use innovative cooling to cut water needs to that of an average restaurant and will be powered in part by new solar projects elsewhere in the state. At the same time, the company acknowledged new fossil fuel generation nearby—highlighting the ongoing balance between green ambitions and on-the-ground energy realities. For Wisconsin, the investment means more than jobs—it marks the state’s arrival as a key player in the AI race.
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Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-building-world-most-powerful-145541081.html
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