The first phase alone of Microsoft’s data center in Mount Pleasant will likely require the same amount of electricity needed to power more than 300,000 homes, according to new information obtained by the Journal Sentinel. Put into context, the City of Milwaukee has around 262,000 housing units.

Over half of the investment is reserved for infrastructure. Microsoft President Brad Smith frames AI investment as key to economic growth.

More than half of the $80 billion budget is expected to be deployed in the United States. The facilities will help train AI models and distribute cloud-based applications across the globe, according to Microsoft vice chair Brad Smith.

Many companies and brands have begun shifting to more sustainable practices in recent years. Microsoft has long been leading the charge, pledging to be carbon negative by 2030. And it's now added another tactic in the fight for sustainability: building data centers made of wood and other low-carbon materials.

Microsoft is planning to invest about $80 billion in fiscal 2025 on developing data centers to train artificial intelligence (AI) models and deploy AI and cloud-based applications, the company said in a blog post on Friday.