Wisconsin residents sue Microsoft over noise caused by new data center

Source: The Independent

Saturday 04 July 2026 08:35 EDT


Residents living near Microsoft’s Fairwater data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, are suing the company over the facility's alleged noise pollution.

The class-action lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Three residents of Sturtevant — a village approximately 30 miles south of Milwaukee close to the data center—are named as plaintiffs.

“Through its operation and maintenance of the Data Center, Defendant has emitted, and continues to emit, unreasonable and excessive noise onto Plaintiffs’ properties, thereby causing property damages through private nuisance and negligence,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit is the latest salvo from frustrated citizens as data centers have swept the country in the race to power AI development. Complaints have included noise and air pollution, excessive water use, and increasing energy costs. Communities in a number of states have launched protests and pushed for legislation to stop their construction.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/wisconsin-microsoft-data-center-lawsuit-noise-b3008643.html