Microsoft to Invest $1B in Data Center Builds in North Carolina

Microsoft has committed to invest $1 billion in a four data center campus in Catawba County, North Carolina.

This move comes during a time when data center site selection can hinge on whether a local government will extend tax incentives. In Microsoft’s case, Catawba County extended a series of grants to woo the hyperscaler to its part of North Carolina.

In exchange for at least 50 new jobs and $1 billion of development across three of its cities, Catawba County approved grants of property to Microsoft over the next 10 years.

“Over that period, local governments will essentially pay back that portion of Microsoft’s property taxes,” said Scott Millar, president, Catawba County Economic Development Corp, according to the Charlotte Observer. “Real property tax covers charges paid on the buildings and real estate of the new centers, while personal property tax will be paid on equipment like the computers and servers inside.”

The Microsoft data center sites will be spread across the cities of Hickory (176 acres), Maiden (292 acres), and Conover (219 acres).

Microsoft guaranteed it would invest $332 million in each of the three areas with an additional $33 million going to the city of Hickory for an additional campus.