Concerns rise over possibility of Microsoft data center coming to Person County
BETWEEN MAY FIRST AND AUGUST.
29TH CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COSTCO
FOR RETHOUGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT'S NEXT FOR MICROSOFT ARE A
RISING IN PERSON COUNTY LAST
YEAR. THE TECH GIANT, BUT
NEARLY 1400 ACRES OF LAND
THERE. IT APPEARS THE COMPANY
IS PREPARING FOR A MAJOR
PROJECT. MANY ARE SPECULATING
A DATA CENTER AND CALLING IT
MICROSOFT MEGAPARK. WE'VE
REPORTED 3 PROPOSED DATA
CENTERS FACING PUSHBACK IN THE
STATE. ONE IN TARBORO WHEN AN
APEX ANOTHER IN MORRISVILLE.
COULD PERSON COUNTY BE NEXT
WRAL'S. KIRSTEN CLARK IS IN
PERSON COUNTY LOOKING FOR CLUES
ABOUT THIS MYSTERY PROJECT.
PEOPLE LIVING HERE IN PERSON
COUNTY. TELL ME THAT THIS
PORTION OF COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE LAST
OCTOBER. THAT IS WHEN MICROSOFT
BOUGHT NEARLY 1400 ACRES OF
LAND HERE. AND MANY BELIEVE
THAT'S ON THE ROAD TO BECOMING
HOME TO THE STATE'S NEXT DATA
CENTER.
>> WHY DOES IT NEED TO BE SUCH
A SECRET? WHY CAN'T A PEOPLE
PERSON COUNTY KNOW?
>> IT'S A QUESTION, FRED.
HOBBS AND HIS NEIGHBORS ARE
ASKING BOTH MICROSOFT AND
COUNTY LEADERS IN AN E-MAIL TO
THE COMPANY. I ASKED WHAT IS
MICROSOFT PLANNING TO DO WITH
THE MEGAPARK? ARE THERE PLANS
IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A DATA
CENTER? IF SO, WHAT WOULD THAT
DATA CENTER LOOK LIKE AND
CONSIST OF? I HAVE NOT HEARD
BACK, BUT A SLIDE SHOW
PRESENTATION BY THE AMERICAN
PETROLEUM INSTITUTE MIGHT BE
PROVIDING SOME IT WAS PRESENTED
TO THE NC HOUSE, ENERGY AND
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMITTEE ON
MARCH 5TH 2025. THIS SLIDE
SHOWS A MAP OF THE STATE WITH
THE STAR IN PERSON COUNTY
LABELED MICROSOFT DATA CENTER
ALONGSIDE OTHERS IN THE STATE.
I REACHED OUT TO DAVID MCCALLUM
WHO PRESENTED THE SLIDES.
I ALSO DID NOT GET ANSWERS FROM
HIM. SO I SOUGHT OUT
INFORMATION FROM COUNTY
COMMISSION CHAIRMAN KYLE
CAREER. I RECOGNIZE PEOPLE ARE
CURIOUS AS TO WHAT IS GOING OUT
THERE. I'M CURIOUS AS WELL.
>> AT THIS POINT, WE'RE KIND
OF WAIT AND SEE APPROACH THIS
WHILE HOBBS EXPRESSES HIS
CONCERNS. I DON'T SEE THE
BENEFIT FOR A LOT OF JOBS THERE
IN PERSON COUNTY, KIRSTIN,
CLARK, WRAL NEWS, AND THERE ARE
ALREADY PLANS AMONG PEOPLE