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Person County Residents Demand Answers from Microsoft
A photo of County Club Rd. in Person County. Microsoft required the county to close this road to make way for a data center, over the objections of local residents. Microsoft & Person County Announce Data Center Plans: Why Community Members are Concerned Microsoft bought the Person County mega-site in 2024. For over a year, Person County officials and Microsoft did not share what their plans were. The uncertainty created concerns among local residents and a fear that decisions which will impact resident’s lives are being made without transparency. In February, 2026, Microsoft & Person County announced the following, “Microsoft purchased 1,350 acres of land in Person County and plans to begin the permitting process for data center development later this year. Data center projects are highly complex and typically span several years, requiring careful planning, design, and close collaboration with the county, local partners, and the community.” Data centers create a lot of concerns for local communities. They are huge warehouses that employ few people, but use a lot of electricity and water resources. They cause air pollution, noise pollution, and can contribute to water pollution. Since Microsoft says they want to collaborate with the community, Person County residents came together and wrote a letter with a set of questions for Microsoft, that have yet to be answered, to address those concerns. What You Can Do Sign the letter!: Person County Needs Answers from Microsoft Come to the April 13, Electricity Rate Hike Hearing! Person County Residents Won’t Pay Microsoft’s Electric Bill. The hearing starts at 7pm, at the Person County Courthouse at 105 South Main Street in Roxboro. Get there a little early to sign up to speak! The NC Utilities Commission regulates electric utilities. Tell them that your electric bills are already too high, and that you shouldn’t have to pay more for fuel or new gas power plants that are needed to power new data centers and big industrial customers, like Microsoft. You can always email your thoughts on this to Person County commissioners or Roxboro City Council. Share this flyer in Person County for the the rate hike hearing. Or this flyer for Duke Energy customers who live outside the county. Upcoming Events April 13, 7pm- Electricity Rate Hike Hearing: Person County Residents Refuse to Pay Microsoft’s Electric Bill– at the Person County Courthouse at 105 South Main Street in Roxboro. Get there a little early to sign up to speak! The NC Utilities Commission is holding a meeting on whether Duke Energy can increase rates (by 18% on average). Piedmont Electric serves Person Co., but they buy their energy from Duke Energy. RSVP here! Duke & Piedmont are partners on the 2nd gas plant being built on Hyco Lake. It was only added AFTER big industrial customers, including Microsoft, asked to connect to the electrical grid We’re being charged for it, but it wasn’t necessary to serve our needs. Now we hear that Microsoft is coming to Person… why are we paying for this again? Spread the word: share this event flyer! Data Center Concerns Microsoft plans to construct a data center. The data center boom in North Carolina is being driven by companies investing in artificial intelligence tools. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? AI performs complex tasks normally handled by humans. Data centers employ very few people and can even take jobs away. Learn more in our new report: Build Before the Bubble Bursts: Understanding the Business Model Behind the Data Center Center Boom in NC Data center investments are risky. Financial experts are starting to warn of an AI bubble, similar to the dot com crash in the 2000s, or the 2008 crash of the housing market. It seems like the bubble is still inflating, and developers are still proposing data centers anywhere they can . There is a risk of overbuilding, and data centers being abandoned when the bubble pops or new, more efficient technology is adopted. They consume tons of energy and strain local water supplies. Backup generators release harmful chemicals into the air that can harm heart and lung health.. Data centers are LOUD, run 24/7, and range from 55-85 decibels (vacuum cleaner or lawn mower). High electric bills. Rising electricity costs are linked to new infrastructure needed for AI data centers, contributing to electricity bills increasing 2x faster than inflation. Spread the Word! Share information on social media: Follow us on Facebook for events you can share Instagram: follow us @cleanwaternc for updates! Share the letter: Person County Needs Answers from Microsoft Resources to educate neighbors: Flyer + talking points for the Electricity Rate Hike Hearing in Roxboro. We refuse to pay Microsoft’s electric bill! Share this flyer for the rate hike hearing for Duke Energy customers who live outside the county. New Report: Build Before the Bubble Bursts: Understanding the Business Model Behind the Data Center Boom in North Carolina Article on Person County residents’ quest for answers from WRAL Check out the basic map below, showing the location of the future Microsoft Data Center
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Build Before the Bubble Bursts: Understanding the Business Model Behind the Data Center Boom in North Carolina
Sanford, NC- Clean Water for North Carolina is releasing a new report ahead of a key presentation in Lee County, where a developer wants to open a commercial gas well to power an AI data center. Build Before the Bubble Bursts: Understanding the Business Model Behind the Data Center Boom in North Carolina explores the economic conditions that brought about this proposal and the potential impact on North Carolina and Lee County. This report comes a few days before the Lee County Board of Commissioners’ March 16 meeting, where they will hear a presentation on the county’s options for regulating data centers and crypto-mining. The presentation comes after months of local residents raising their voices in opposition to a controversial proposal from Deep River Data. Deep River Data wants to power an artificial intelligence (AI) data center with gas from Butler Well #3 in Lee County. The proposal has drawn criticism from local residents, business owners, and clean water advocates. Community members will hold a press conference at 5:00pm to share their concerns before the county commissioners meeting at 6pm on Monday. Butler Well #3 is located near the Lee-Chatham county line, south of U.S. Highway 421, close to Cumnock & Sanford, NC. It is unlikely this well will produce any usable amount of gas without hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). Fracking has never been used in North Carolina. Sheila Sherrick, a Lee County resident whose home and goat farm rely on her private well, said, “I can’t afford to have a poisoned well. I need clean water for me, my family, and my animals.” “Drinking water for municipalities from Sanford to Wilmington comes from the Deep and Cape Fear Rivers. This means that thousands of families, businesses, schools, institutions, Ft. Bragg; all, have the potential of contaminated water from fracking and data center development on the Deep River which flows into the Cape Fear. A moratorium is needed for time for more research and development of safer and cleaner solutions for the management of these two dirty industries.” said Donna Strickland, a Lee County resident. Hope Taylor, executive director of Clean Water for North Carolina, said, “Residents are right to be concerned about the potential impact of a proposed data center, given the large volume of water that would be required for cooling. That section of the Deep River sits over the Triassic Basin, and according to the US Geological Survey, These formations have poor drainage and low permeability, which significantly limits the ability of the ground to store and release water to the river during dry periods.” In addition to water issues, local businesses, clergy members, and newer residents expressed concerns about the economic impacts of this proposal. Steph Gans, assistant director of Clean Water for North Carolina, described the risks, “Most people who hear that a company wants to open a commercial gas well, purely to power an AI data center, are shocked. This idea is only possible in our current economic environment, where investors are willing to risk it all on AI, with no clear path to turning a profit on AI services. Our new report describes these and other issues with Deep River Data’s proposal. Eventually, the bubble will burst, leaving AI data centers that rely on inefficient chips and expensive fuels as stranded assets. A moratorium gives the county time to assess what regulations would protect the community.” Deep River Data initially expressed interest in applying to drill last year, but did not file an application. Then, in the beginning of February, 2026, Deep River Data emailed the NC Oil and Gas Commission. They asked questions to help them complete their application, and wrote, “We’re excited to be moving full steam ahead.” Therese Vick, sustainable development coordinator at Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, shared this in response, “Lee County is being forced into a high-stakes experiment where the community bears all the risk, and the industry takes all the profit. To combine the massive power demands of an AI data center with the known dangers of fracking is to design a failure that Lee County will be paying for long after the data centers go dark.” Stephanie Stephens, the Deep River Riverkeeper, said, ““The Deep River is a direct drinking water source for 345,000 people and the source of Sanford’s drinking water. Approving a data center, powered by natural gas drilled from the Cumnock Shale basin underneath the Deep River threatens safe drinking water. We ask that the Commissioners pass a moratorium on Data Centers and Crypto-mining for Lee County so that permanent decisions made can be made with great consideration as to the best use of land space and for the well being of the community already living in the region.” Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and executive director at Haw River Assembly added, “North Carolina does not have permitting provisions and environmental regulations to ensure that data centers do not harm our communities or the air, water, and forests we depend on. We are asking counties to put moratoriums in place until our policy makers can adopt protective guardrails to regulate this industry.” ### About Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) BREDL advocates grassroots involvement to empower whole communities in environmental issues. BREDL functions as a “watchdog” of the environment, monitoring issues and holding government officials accountable for their actions. BREDL networks with citizen groups and agencies, collecting and disseminating accurate & timely information. BREDL sets standards for environmental quality & awards individuals & agencies who uphold these standards in practice. bredl.org About Clean Water for North Carolina Clean Water for North Carolina is a non-profit promoting clean, safe water and environments and empowered, just communities for all North Carolinians through outreach, advocacy, education, and technical assistance. cwfnc.org About Deep River Riverkeeper Deep River Riverkeeper’s mission is To protect the Deep River and it’s neighbors through science, education and stewardship. We do this through projects and programs that include public participation. We advocate for and work to ensure the Deep River’s well-being as a vital, healthy, life sustaining source for all. deepriverkeepersnc.org About Haw River Assembly Haw River Assembly is a 501(c)(3) non-profit citizens’ group founded in 1982 to restore and protect the Haw River and Jordan Lake, and to build a watershed community that shares this vision. Our goals are to promote environmental education, conservation and pollution prevention; to speak as a voice for the river in the public arena; and to put into peoples’ hands the tools and the knowledge they need to be effective guardians of the river. hawriver.org
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