Microsoft 'Highlands' data center expansion in southeast Cheyenne
Also called: Highlands, Southeast Cheyenne expansion
Microsoft plans a large new data center campus on about 3,460 acres in southeast Cheyenne, linked in reporting to 2.7 gigawatts. The city annexed the land in July 2026. Residents are trying to undo that through a referendum and in court.
Where things stand: City annexed and zoned the land July 13, 2026. A referendum petition and two court cases try to undo it.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 3, 2026): A resident asked district court to void the annexation.
What we know
- 📍 WhereAbout 200 acres in Bison Business Park on Wapiti Trail east of S Greeley Highway, plus about 3,000 acres next to it in southeast Cheyenne, Cheyenne, Laramie County
- 🏢 CompanyMicrosoft
- 👤 Built forMicrosoft
- 🌳 Size3,460 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs2,700 megawatts (about as much as 2,160,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromBlack Hills Energy. Microsoft says it pays for grid upgrades and the power it buys.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Will Cheyenne voters get to vote on the annexation? What will the court decide? 🙋 I'll find out
- How many buildings and how much water will the Highlands campus use? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where exactly is the site? A parcel number, address or agenda link helps. 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 8, 2026: We checked the news reports and the 2020 state parcel map for an exact site: none gives a parcel, address or road corner.
What happened so far
- April 14, 2026Microsoft said it plans to buy about 3,200 acres in Cheyenne for data centers.
- June 1, 2026City Planning Commission recommended denial of most of the plan.
- June 22, 2026City Council advanced the annexation and voted 8-3 against a $50 million community benefits deal.
- July 13, 2026City Council gave final approval to annex about 3,460 acres.
- Aug 10, 2026Council voted 8-1 to ask a court whether an annexation can be put to a referendum, after residents turned in more than 3,000 signatures.
- Sept 3, 2026A resident asked district court to void the annexation.
Local votes and rules
✅ Approved
The City Council voted 8-2 to annex Cox Ranch (about 1,260 acres west of Roundtop Road) and zone it business park for a Skybox and ViaWest data center. In April a council committee voted 2-1 against it, and the council put it off until September. One councilor switched to yes after the developers promised to protect water flow to Crow Creek.
🗺️ Zoning change
Trammell Crow asked to rezone 162 acres in south Cheyenne from farm to light industrial for the Orchard Hills data center. The Planning Commission voted no unanimously on Sept. 8. The City Council has the final say, set for Oct. 12, 2026.
⚖️ Court case
A resident filed two cases in district court. One asks the court to cancel the July 13 Microsoft annexation. The other says the council's Aug. 10 vote to go to court broke the open meetings law. Both were served on the city in late September.
✅ Approved
The City Council gave final approval to annex about 3,460 acres for Microsoft's planned data center campus. That makes the city about 20% bigger. On June 22 the council voted 8-3 against asking for a $50 million community benefits deal. The City Planning Commission had advised against most of the plan.
🗳️ Public vote
Residents turned in a petition with more than 3,000 signatures to put the Microsoft annexation to a public vote. About 2,700 are needed. On Aug. 10 the council voted 8-1 to ask a court whether an annexation can go to a referendum at all. The clerk was still checking signatures in late September.
✋ Turned down
The City Council voted down a one-year pause on new data centers. During the pause, city staff would have studied power use, electric rates, water and land values. About 50 residents spoke for about five hours. A council committee had sent it on without a recommendation on May 18. Reports differ on the count (8-1 or 9-1).
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Microsoft announces intent to expand datacenter operations in Cheyenne · Microsoft · April 14, 2026
- Cheyenne Planners Recommend Denial For Most Of Microsoft's Data Center Expansion · Cowboy State Daily · June 2, 2026
- Cheyenne OK's Huge Microsoft Annexation, Rejects $50M Community Benefits Deal · Cowboy State Daily · June 23, 2026
- Cheyenne Woman Asks Court To Overturn 3,500-Acre Microsoft Data Center Annexation · Cowboy State Daily · Sept 25, 2026
- City receives petition concerning annexation and outlines next steps · City of Cheyenne · Aug 2026
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