Power
Power and the grid
Sources on record, size not disclosed
- Black Hills Energy grid (Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power) Tariff frameworkservice under the Wyoming Large Power Contract Service tariff, with Microsoft funding the upgrades; no contract or MW for these parcels is public News report · April 2026
Getting on the grid
- A state air permit for 128 diesel units covers Microsoft's whole Cheyenne portfolio; the mayor says they are for backup power. News report · May 2025
- The 1.8 GW Cheyenne project with an unnamed customer in Black Hills' filings is a separate campus, not this expansion. Company · June 2026
Permits
Permits checklist
1 pending · 1 draft · 1 checked, nothing on file
Approvals on record for the expansion, and what we could not find.
- ◷City applications for two expansion areas PendingCity of Cheyenne · May 2026: College Drive (385 acres) and Happy Jack Road (about 35 acres) Company · May 2026
- ◷Air permit for 128 backup diesel units (whole Cheyenne portfolio) DraftWyoming Department of Environmental Quality: preliminary decision to approve; not specific to these parcels News report · May 2026
- –Checked, nothing on file: Large-power contract filing
Risks
What could slow it down
- WatchLong horizonMicrosoft calls the land purchase the start of a multiyear planning and development process, with no schedule. Company · April 2026
- WatchNo public power contractNo large-power contract or load figure for these parcels has been filed. see Permits
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- 2012Site Microsoft begins operating data centers in Cheyenne Company · May 2026
- April 14, 2026Site Microsoft announces its intent to buy about 3,200 acres for more data centers Company · April 2026
- May 2026Permits Microsoft applies to the city for two more expansion areas Company · May 2026
- May 28, 2026Site Microsoft holds a public information session for neighbors Company · May 2026
The buildings
Specs
~200 acres
Bison Business Park parcel on Wapiti Trail, east of South Greeley Highway
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Owner
- Microsoft: developer and operator
Government
- City of Cheyenne: reviewing the applications
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality: air permits
Utility
- Black Hills Energy (Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power): serving utility
Still unknown
Open questions
- MW planned for the new parcels.
- Price and closing of the 3,200-acre purchase.
- City decisions on the May 2026 applications.
Where this comes from
24 records from 11 documents
Drawn from news reports and company statements, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 6Company 5
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (4)
- over $200M in refundable contributions in aid of construction received; a substation agreement executed and a substation CPCN filed in January 2026; service expected early 2028); The release does not name Microsoft and t“The company is continuing to advance the project and is working directly with the potential large-load customer.”Company · June 2026 · grade B
- Project status: APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, IN CITY REVIEW: Microsoft submitted applications to the City of Cheyenne in May 2026 for the two expansion areas and held a public information session on May 28, 2026; Microsoft al“In May of this year, we submitted applications to the City of Cheyenne for the expansion areas and hosted a public information session on May 28 to answer questions from neighbors.”Company · May 2026 · grade B
- WY DEQ gave a preliminary decision (Apr 2025) to approve 128 diesel units across Microsoft's Cheyenne portfolio; the units are backup power per the mayor and the permit coverage, and are never converted to MW rows“A proposal from Microsoft to install 128 diesel generation units across its data center portfolio in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is set for approval”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Cheyenne's mayor states the 128 diesel units will be used for back-up power in case power is interrupted“the generation units will be used for back-up power”News report · May 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (3)
- up to 590 MW of grid-connected service plus management of 2.1 GW of third-party-contracted energy via a private microgrid; $1.8B of utility gas generation investment; service late 2027 ramping to 2030) covers a different“Black Hills will provide up to 590 megawatts of grid-connected energy service through company-owned generation and market energy”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- electric service under Large Power Contract Service (LPCS) tariff: cost responsibility - customer funds all infrastructure upgrades and power procured for its load“That partnership supports economic growth in Wyoming, and our flexible and innovative tariff provisions allow us to meet Microsoft’s expanding energy needs while protecting base retail customers from rate impacts.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- In its April 2026 land announcement Microsoft committed that it will not accept or use local property tax abatements for the Cheyenne expansion“In response, Microsoft committed to not accepting or using local property tax abatements for the expansion.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
Permits and government (2)
- Source record“Today's announcement represents the start of what the company expects to be a multiyear planning and development process.”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- Unit count as reported by Data Center Dynamics from the DEQ notice; generator co: Preliminary decision to approve an air quality permit for 128 diesel backup generator units across Microsoft's Cheyenne data center portfo“the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality reached a preliminary decision in April to approve an air quality permit for Microsoft to deploy 128 diesel generator units”News report · May 2026 · grade C
Site and other (5)
- Announced: April 14, 2026“Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced its intent to purchase approximately 3,200 acres of land to develop a datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming.”Company · April 2026 · grade A
- Project identity: Microsoft Cheyenne expansion: two additional expansion areas in Cheyenne, WY - a 385-acre area east of College Drive near Cheyenne Business Parkway, and an approximately 35-acre area south of Happy Jack“We submitted applications to the City of Cheyenne for two new expansion areas, including a 385-acre area east of College Drive near Cheyenne Business Parkway”Company · May 2026 · grade B
- County code: 56021“We submitted applications to the City of Cheyenne for two new expansion areas, including a 385-acre area east of College Drive near Cheyenne Business Parkway”Company · May 2026 · grade B
- Microsoft's HR Ranch Road campus in east Cheyenne is a separate in-flight construction project; the Apr 2026 announcement is a land-purchase intent for different parcels, not that site's groundbreaking“Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced its intent to purchase approximately 3,200 acres of land to develop a datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming.”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- Meta's Cheyenne-area campus, Crusoe's Project Jade (the 1.8 GW Cheyenne AI Factory, Laramie County approval Jan 2026) and Related Digital/CoreWeave's Cheyenne project are separate campuses, not Microsoft's“a massive 1.8-gigawatt AI data center campus often referred to as the “Cheyenne AI Factory””News report · April 2026 · grade C