Microsoft Has Invested Over $750 Million In Data Centers Located In Wyoming

Last month, Governor Matt Mead joined Cheyenne LEADS and the Wyoming Business Council announcing Microsoft will expand their data center west of Cheyenne. The expansion is estimated to create 25 new permanent jobs in addition to the 25 jobs from the current operations. Construction of the center will begin as early as this summer and is expected to employ 200-600 people. In the past four years, Microsoft’s total investment in the Cheyenne area is approaching three quarters of a billion dollars.

These jobs represent Wyomings commitment to diversifying the states economy. The people who come to work on this project also support the local economy by staying in our hotels, eating at our restaurants and spending money in other ways, Governor Mead said. If you had told me four years ago that a company would be investing three quarters of a billion dollars in Wyoming and it had nothing to do with minerals, tourism and agriculture it would have been hard to believe. I would like to thank Microsoft for their continued investment in Wyoming.

From the state to local communities, Wyoming offers multiple incentive programs for data-center operators. Some examples are:

• Managed Data Center Cost Reduction Grant offers cities, counties, and joint­power boards incentives to provide financial opportunities and discounted services to companies building data centers in their communities.
• Data Center Sales Tax Exemption: If companies building data centers in Wyoming meet certain requirements, sales tax on qualified computer equipment is exempt.
• Data Center Infrastructure Grant: The state offers cities, towns, and counties assistance to build the needed infrastructure for data centers.
• Data Center Permit Exemption: If a data­-center project exceeds a certain capital investment, the company is exempt from state siting permits.

For the latest Microsoft expansion, the government has provided a $5 million grant for infrastructure build-out on the 120-acre parcel to be used for the facility.

Read more about it here.