More Kenosha area residents advocate a pause in the development of Microsoft’s new hyperscale data center in Mount Pleasant, according to a report by Wisconsin Public Radio.
A group called Kenoshans Unite Against Microsoft Data Center is leading the effort against the project, which began in 2025 when Microsoft purchased 240 acres of land in the Kenosha County community of Mount Pleasant.
Like residents in other Wisconsin communities, Kenosha area residents who want a pause have cited concerns about energy and water demand, excess noise and other environmental concerns.
Some want the question of additional data center development put to a referendum, claiming local elected officials have largely kept residents in the dark about Microsoft’s plans.
So far, a 315-acre data center in Mount Pleasant has been completed and is fully operational, and a second facility is under construction on a neighboring site.
In January, the Mount Pleasant village board approved site plans for up to 15 more Microsoft data centers that could be built over the next decade.
