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
