Project Aurora: $13B 15-Facility Microsoft AI Hub Wisconsin

Status: Approved / Phase 1 Operation Start (March 2026) | Location: Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park, Mount Pleasant

Project Overview

Unanimously approved on January 26, 2026, Project Aurora represents Microsoft’s large-scale strategic response to the accelerating global shortage of AI compute capacity. Developed on a 1,363-acre site originally earmarked for Foxconn, the project is structured into two major campuses: Campus One along Durand Avenue with nine buildings, and Campus Two on International Drive comprising six buildings. Together, these campuses form a hyperscale AI infrastructure cluster designed to rapidly expand Microsoft’s ability to deliver compute resources to key partners, including OpenAI, as well as enterprise cloud and AI customers.

At the core of the development is the flagship Fairwater facility, which became operational in early 2026 and is positioned as one of the most powerful AI data centers globally. It is equipped with hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs (GB200/GB300), enabling unprecedented levels of performance for large-scale model training and inference. To address community concerns around energy consumption, Microsoft introduced its “Community-First AI Infrastructure” framework at this site, committing to ensure that the significant power requirements of the campus will not translate into higher residential electricity costs. This approach combines grid investments, efficiency measures, and local stakeholder engagement, setting a precedent for future AI megacampus developments.

Quick Facts

Field	Value
Project Name	Project Aurora: $13B 15-Facility Microsoft AI Hub Wisconsin
Location	Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park, Mount Pleasant
Status	Approved / Phase 1 Operation Start (March 2026)
Commissioning	Fairwater (Phase 1): Q1 2026; 15-Building Expansion: 2027–2030+
Total IT Load	~1.5 GW to 2.0 GW (Expansion buildings only)
Total Capacity	15 new data centers + existing 2-building campus; 9M sq. ft. total.
Tier Level	Tier IV (Sovereign AI Training & Massive-Scale Inference)
Project Type	Gigawatt-Scale AI Supercluster & Training Hub

City Profile

Header	Details
City Name	Mount Pleasant
Population	~97,000 (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
Urban Agglomeration	~850,000 (Charleston-North Charleston Metro Area)
City GDP	~$45–50 billion (Charleston metro economy estimate)
Per Capita Income	~$45,000–$52,000
City Tier	Tier 2 (High-growth suburban tech & logistics hub)
Key Strengths	Proximity to Charleston port, strong logistics & trade economy, growing tech presence, high quality of life, business-friendly environment

Companies Involved

Header	Details
Developer / Operator	Microsoft Corporation
Strategic Infrastructure Partner	Village of Mount Pleasant / Racine County Economic Development Corp.
Construction Contractor	Walsh Construction and Kiewit (Joint Venture/Co-leads).
MEP Engineering	Microsoft Global Infrastructure Team.
Network Connectivity	Fiber mesh with enough length to circle the Earth 4.5 times.
Power Infrastructure	Three new dedicated substations; Grid upgrades via WE Energies.

Technical Specifications

Header	Details
Power Capacity	Estimated 1.5 GW - 2.0 GW for the 15-building expansion.
UPS Redundancy	$2N$ configuration with high-capacity battery energy storage (BESS).
Cooling System	90% closed-loop liquid cooling (zero water waste after startup).
Connectivity	Ultra-low latency backbone connecting to Chicago and Mid-Atlantic regions.
PUE Target	< 1.12
Energy Mix	Match 100% of load with 4,000 MW of regional renewable assets by 2027.

Milestones

Header	Details
Announcement	January 27, 2026 (Village Approval)
Construction Start	Late 2026 (for expansion buildings)
Phase 1 Go-Live	March 2026 (Fairwater Site)
Full Buildout	2032

Investment Details

Header	Details
Total Investment	$20 Billion+ (Combined Regional Investment)
Funding	Microsoft Capital Expenditure.