Microsoft Data Centers Face Local Pushback

Microsoft is advancing large data center projects in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Person County, North Carolina, while local officials and residents question their effects on land use, water supplies, electricity costs, housing, noise, and the environment.

Cheyenne’s planning commission recommended denial of key land-use changes for a proposed 3,200-acre campus, although the matter proceeds to City Council review; in Person County, Microsoft is using public meetings to address concerns around its 1,385-acre Mega Park site. The projects show that local approvals and credible impact commitments remain central to Microsoft’s expansion timeline.