Microsoft releases plans for 1,350 acre data center in Person County

Microsoft, the world’s No. 4 most valuable company, will bring a data center to a large parcel in Person County.

RAL_MicrosoftWikimedia_FEB2026

This tech giant is coming to central NC with a large data center.

Photo by Coolcaesar via Wikimedia Commons

Microsoft revealed its plans for a 1,350 acre parcel in Person County — approx. an hour from Raleigh — after purchasing Person County Mega Park for ~$27 million in 2024. The parcel will become a data center, and permitting will begin later this year.

Data centers like the one Microsoft is planning help power artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Microsoft promised residents that the data center won’t increase energy costs or reduce the water supply, a major concern for other data center neighbors across the country.

“We are excited to learn more about their plans for datacenter development in our county,” county board chair Kyle Puryear wrote to The News & Observer. “And are confident that their presence will drive economic growth and enhance community well-being through strategic investment, job creation, and responsible stewardship of resources.”

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