Artificial intelligence is quietly turning data centers into some of the world’s biggest power users. Over the past year, these facilities used roughly 448 trillion watt‑hours of electricity, putting their energy needs in the same league as major economies.

The first data center on Microsoft's campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, is now officially operational. The company revealed today, June 23, that it has fully completed construction on the data center, just over two years after the company first announced plans for the site.

The group claims that once the facilities are fully operational they are projected to use approximately 1% of the city’s daily water production capacity.

Microsoft says its first data center in the Village of Mount Pleasant is now fully operational, marking a major milestone in the

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at Microsoft Alviso datacenter groundbreaking event in Alviso, Calif. on June 10, 2026. Stan Olszewski To continue reading this content, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings and refresh this page.

Constellation Energy is locking in nuclear power contracts that stretch a decade or longer, securing commitments from both the federal government and major technology companies racing to power artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Microsoft and Ivy Tech’s Valparaiso campus will establish a data center academy where students can earn certificates for jobs at data centers.

"Those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so."