According to an article in today's Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Microsoft is considering a $66.5 million expansion to the plant. On Tuesday, the Laramie County Commission authorized a $2.25 million grant application to the state's Business Ready Community Grant and Loan Program for a managed data center cost reduction.
The Microsoft data center has already benefited from state grants and incentives worth more than $10 million — this in addition to the $1.5 million Community Readiness Grant given to Microsoft's demonstration data plant project that will capture biogas from Cheyenne's water treatment plant.
The number of jobs created by the data center were estimated to be around 40 when the project began, but were revised down to 18 workers for the planned center, plus another nine workers if the expansion goes through.
"I don't see why the county is spending millions of dollars for 27 lousy jobs," Laramie County resident Don Wils told the Eagle.
However, economic developers note that the Microsoft Data Center (as well as the NCAR supercomputer now in operation across the street from it) have raised Wyoming's profile as a great location for data centers and tech in general because of the cool arid climate, inexpensive energy and favorable economic atmosphere.
For more Daily news click here and look under 'Breaking News'
