Microsoft wins approval for seven larger data centers

Microsoft has revised its Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, data center proposal from nine buildings to seven, alongside a storage building and two utility substations. The redesigned campus would total about 5.88 million square feet—roughly 400,000 square feet more than the earlier plan—and Microsoft says the changes are intended to speed construction and bring capacity online sooner. The Mount Pleasant Plan Commission reviewed the amended plan, with village staff recommending approval and a Village Board vote expected to follow. The proposal also lowers the estimated taxable value per acre, though officials say the property’s assessed value could ultimately be higher.