Microsoft is planning a $1 billion data center on Foxconn site. Here's what we know about jobs, water use at data centers.

Microsoft announced plans this week to purchase 315-acres to build a $1 billion data center on the sprawling Foxconn site in Mount Pleasant.

Racine County and state leaders are touting the announcement as a win for local taxpayers and the Racine County region where Foxconn's promises over the last five years have not materialized.

“Microsoft joins a roster of innovative, world-class companies that are choosing to grow in Wisconsin because ofour highly educated workforce, outstanding infrastructure, central location, and unparalleled quality of life," Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation said in a statement.

Approvals are needed from the Mount Pleasant Village Board and Racine County before the Microsoft deal can go through.

If approved, Microsoft would purchase the land for $50 million by July 31, 2023. Foxconn will receive the proceeds from the Microsoft land sale as a partial reimbursement of money Foxconn paid in 2017 to acquire land.

Microsoft is also eligible for up to $5 million in tax credits per year if the company meets its obligations. But there has been no mention of how many jobs will be created.

Here's what we know about the kind of facility that Microsoft would bring to the site.

Data centers don't require many workers

For the last 10 years, the Potawatomi Business Development Corp. has quietly operated a 45,000-square-foot data center at the former Concordia College campus on Milwaukee's west side.

Inside are thousands of computers that store data for large and small private and public companies and the state of Wisconsin.

Despite the $30 million operation, only eight people work at the data center, said Ryan Brooks. vice president and general manager of Data Holdings Data Center, the company that operates the facility for Potawatomi.

"Data centers don't bring a bunch of fanfair," Brooks said. "It's a big building for computers, not a huge number of employees. At the end of the day, the computers are doing the work."