Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta (Azure AI Superfactory)

Timeline from the record

Newest first. Record entries come from the filings and reports the registry cites. Coverage entries are headlines from publisher feeds we monitor daily, linked to the outlet; last checked September 14, 2026.

1. October 2025

   Operating
   Microsoft's Atlanta Fairwater AI datacenter began operation in October 2025, the second in the Fairwater family; two-story, no UPS/gensets Source: Microsoft

Opposition and litigation at this site

Yes. Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta (Azure AI Superfactory) in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Georgia is contested. Hearings, public comment, petitions, or organized opposition are on record. Fayetteville adopted a 90-day moratorium (Jan 29 2026) then unanimously passed Ordinance 26-O-12 (March 5 2026) banning new data centers in all zoning districts; existing Fairwater 1/2 and the Dec 2025 East Campus rezoning are grandfathered.

How the community has taken it

Reception is a sourced signal, not an editorial judgment: contested means active public debate is on record, with hearings, petitions, or organized opposition, without litigation.

Fayetteville adopted a 90-day moratorium (Jan 29 2026) then unanimously passed Ordinance 26-O-12 (March 5 2026) banning new data centers in all zoning districts; existing Fairwater 1/2 and the Dec 2025 East Campus rezoning are grandfathered. Opposition centered on construction traffic, the ~29M-gal unmetered water draw, and new 500 kV transmission lines; Mayor Edward Johnson expressed support. A competing Crow Holdings proposal withdrew its appeal after the ban. No litigation against the Fairwater campus.

Source: Measured AI

Power and water

Two-story design with no UPS or backup generators (DCD, Oct 2025), no on-site generation. Microsoft states Fairwater uses improved closed-loop cooling that 'consumes almost zero water in its operation.' Georgia Power 2025 IRP testimony cites the QTS Fayetteville campus as a single load of just under 1,500 MW at full build-out.

QTS closed-loop 'water-free' design (COO Ryan Hunter: 'Once the water's in there, it stays in there for the life of the asset'); ~600,000-gal one-time fill per building, ongoing per-building use 'equivalent to four American households per month.' During construction the campus drew ~29-30M gallons through two unmetered connections (2024-25); Fayette County issued a ~$147,000 retroactive charge and no fine. No operational daily figure for the Microsoft tenant space specifically.

Public money on the record

Notes on the record

615-acre, up-to-13-building QTS-built campus on Hwy 54W near Fayetteville, Fayette County (Microsoft's materials say 'Atlanta'). Began operation Oct 2025 as Fairwater 2, a 'multi-gigawatt' AI campus. ~1,500 MW is the anticipated ultimate Georgia Power load across all buildings (planned figure; ~433 MW cited as initially online). Distinct from Microsoft's smaller Tyrone, GA campus. Two-story design with no UPS or backup generators. Coordinates are the Fayetteville area centroid. Microsoft has not disclosed tenant capex for the Fairwater Fayetteville space; the ~$1B/$6.5B figures are QTS developer build-out estimates for the full multi-tenant campus, and the widely-cited $14.5M abatement / $1.8B / $75M figures attach to different Microsoft/Fulton-County sites (the $75M was FCDA land-sale proceeds, not a subsidy to QTS) -> investmentUsd omitted.

Other sites within 30 miles

Distances are between recorded coordinates, many of which are a city or county centroid, so treat them as approximate. Cumulative load on one utility and one aquifer is the question a planning commission rarely asks.

• Lovejoy Data Center Campus (Stillwater Development) · Lovejoy · Stillwater Development6 mi · Cancelled · 1.3 GW · Opposed
• Microsoft Tyrone Campus (Project Rita) · Tyrone · Microsoft8 mi · Permitted · 96 MW · Contested
• Project Peach (CyrusOne Palmetto Data Center Campus) · Palmetto · CyrusOne (joint venture with North Coweta Investors)13 mi · Permitted · Opposed
• CleanSpark College Park Bitcoin Mining Facility · College Park · CleanSpark, Inc.13 mi · Operating · 50 MW
• Vantage Data Centers Westlake · South Fulton · Vantage Data Centers14 mi · Proposed
• TA Realty East Tanners Church Road Data Center · Ellenwood · TA Realty15 mi · Permitted · 180 MW
• Project Oak Data Center (Walt Sanders Road) · Newnan · Undisclosed developer16 mi · Cancelled · Opposed
• T5 @ Atlanta IV · Palmetto · T5 Data Centers17 mi · Proposed · 300 MW

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