Staff Reporter
Meta Platforms Inc. is set to invest nearly $1 billion in a new data center in central Wisconsin, highlighting the company’s commitment to boosting its investments in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure.
In February, Wisconsin’s state government reached an incentive agreement with a company using a pseudonym for a data center project, with an anticipated investment of $837 million. Sources familiar with the situation confirm that the company is Meta, although they requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment, while the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation stated that it typically reveals company identities only after contracts are finalized.
In recent years, major tech firms have been rapidly expanding their data center capacities to meet the demands of cloud computing and complex AI models.
Meta has indicated plans to invest up to $65 billion this year, focusing on AI infrastructure, including a significant facility in Louisiana. The addition of the Wisconsin center would contribute to a surge of major data centers being established across the United States.
However, investors are raising concerns about the sustainability of this construction pace, especially in light of Microsoft’s recent pullbacks, the rise of more cost-effective AI models, and potential tariff impacts.
Meta is integrating artificial intelligence into all its operations, influencing how Instagram and Facebook target users with ads and how content appears in users’ feeds.
The technology is also a key component of the company’s consumer hardware, including the Meta Quest headsets and Ray-Ban Meta glasses. CEO Mark Zuckerberg informed investors in late January that he expects Meta to invest hundreds of billions in AI over time.
Wisconsin has recently become an appealing location for hyperscale data center construction. South of Milwaukee, Microsoft Corp. is developing a facility that may become one of its most powerful. Additionally, OpenAI’s Stargate venture has identified Wisconsin as a potential site for expansion.
“This project could bring transformative economic benefits to the community and the surrounding area,” stated the Beaver Dam Area Development Corporation in a February media note.
In that same note, the city’s economic development agency mentioned it was collaborating with Alliant Energy Corp. on the project and had already approved development and water agreements. However, the project is not yet finalized and still requires approvals from outside the local area.
An Alliant Energy spokesperson indicated that the company is in the “exploratory and due diligence phases” for a potential project in Beaver Dam, promising more information will be available soon.
