POWEREDBYWHO
· PROJECT DOSSIER
FILE #F07344E9 · UPDATED 2026-04-29
PROPOSED
Microsoft Person County Campus
Rumored
Announced
Proposed
Permit filed
Approved
Under construction
Operational
Capacity
—
Operator
—
Developer · Microsoft
Land
—
Location
MECKLENBURG NC
NC
Status
Proposed
As of 2026-04-29
§ 03
Officials & their industry receipts
3 TRACKED
Federal officials representing this project's district and what they've taken from data-center / AI / hyperscaler industry sources across cycles.
Thom Tillis
U.S. Senator · NC
R
$41k
INDUSTRY $
Ted Budd
U.S. Senator · NC
R
$24k
INDUSTRY $
Virginia Foxx
U.S. Rep · NC-5
R
$5k
INDUSTRY $
§ 07
Local voices
5 STATEMENTS
NEUTRAL · 2025-08
“Keeping electricity costs down means making sure data centers pay their fair share for the electricity they require.”
— Josh Stein, Gov. · NCSOURCE ↗
NEUTRAL · 2025-08
“Data centers account for about 80 percent of additional demand Duke Energy expects. They must pay their fair share for grid stress.”
— Josh Stein, Gov. · NCSOURCE ↗
OPPOSITION · 2026-03
“Plainly, I don't support a new data center in the heart of our district.”
— Valerie Foushee, Rep. · NC-04SOURCE ↗
OPPOSITION · 2026-03
“The oligarchs and out-of-state development companies who are proposing to build an AI data center in our community call it construction — but we see right through it. We know its destruction of jobs, our environment and our communities themselves.”
— Nida Allam, Durham County Commissioner · NCSOURCE ↗
OPPOSITION · 2026-03
“Thank you to all of the residents, all of the experts, all of the advocates who've been coming to our council meetings these past few months. The project will not be moving forward and it's over.”
— Terry Mahaffey, Mayor Pro Tem · NCSOURCE ↗
§ 08
Industry money in this state
6 PACS TARGETING
Money flowing into the state from AI / data-center / crypto / hyperscaler-aligned super PACs. Not necessarily tied to this project — but the political environment it operates in.
Top 6 · combined budget
$106.40M
Leading the Future
Budget
$50.30M
Pro-AI industry super PAC pushing rapid AI development and lighter regulation. FEC filings: $50.3M raised, $11M disbursed, $39.3M cash on hand (as of Dec 31, 2025). White House reportedly 'irked' by its formation. Bipartisan -- supports candidates committed to blocking states' ability to enforce AI legislation (framed as 'national regulatory framework'). Lost big in IL: backed Jackson Jr. who lost, spent against Ford and Stratton who won. Note: news reports cited $125M as a fundraising goal/pledge; FEC-verified receipts total $50.3M.
REPORTING ↗Public First Action
Budget
$50.00M
Bipartisan 501(c)(4) advocating for AI safety, transparency, and stronger oversight. Goal: raise $75M. Ad blitz on AI regulation for child safety, jobs, and national security.
REPORTING ↗American Mission PAC
Budget
$5.00M
Affiliate of Leading the Future super PAC network. $5M cash on hand.
REPORTING ↗Protect Progress
Budget
$1.10M
Fairshake-affiliated Super PAC supporting Democratic crypto/tech-friendly candidates. $1M+ in independent expenditures. Cash on hand: $1.1M.
REPORTING ↗Defend American Jobs
Fairshake-affiliated Super PAC supporting Republican crypto/tech-friendly candidates.
REPORTING ↗Build American AI
501(c)(4) nonprofit linked to Leading the Future. Not required to disclose donors.
REPORTING ↗§ 09
Follow the money in North Carolina
Know when a new data center deal gets cut, who profits, and who signed off on it.
Follow the money in NC
Know when a new data center deal gets cut, who profits, and who signed off on it.
OR · ON THIS PROJECT