Microsoft enters land deal for data center in Woodward
Microsoft has purchased about 600 acres in the Woodward Eco Business Park for a proposed data center. Company representatives told residents that Microsoft would fund infrastructure upgrades and use closed-loop cooling, while residents and protesters raised environmental and quality-of-life concerns. The project still requires approval of a development agreement and site plan from the Woodward City Council.
Microsoft has closed on the purchase of roughly 600 acres in Woodward, Iowa, for a proposed data center in the Woodward Eco Business Park. At a public meeting attended by about 200 residents, Microsoft executives said the company would pay for water and sewer upgrades, roads, paving and electrical infrastructure.
Microsoft representatives said the facility’s design has not begun but that a closed-loop cooling system would avoid impacts to the city’s water resources. They also said purchasing electricity from a wholesaler would not affect Woodward’s power grid or residential rates. Mayor Todd Folkerts said the city council must approve a development agreement and later a site plan before construction can proceed, while residents and several protesters voiced concerns about environmental effects and community quality of life.