POWEREDBYWHO
· PROJECT DOSSIER
FILE #PROJECT-FIRECRACKER-MICROSOFT-B81AD09F · UPDATED 2026-05-10
PROPOSED
Project Firecracker (Microsoft)
Rumored
Announced
Proposed
Permit filed
Approved
Under construction
Operational
Capacity
—
Operator
—
Developer · Microsoft
Land
347 ac
≈ 263 football fields
Location
ROME
Floyd County, GA
Status
Proposed
As of 2026-05-10
§ 02
Paper trail
3 EVENTS
2027-01-01
operational_target_setMicrosoft target for the campus to go live in 2027-2028 per Datacenter Dynamics reporting. Campus specifications not publicly disclosed at announcement.SOURCE ↗
2023-10-30
project_announcedRome Floyd County Development Authority announced Microsoft 1 billion dollar data center campus on 347 acres along Huffaker Road, east of Fouche Gap Road. Microsoft purchasing land at 40,000 dollars per acre (~13.9 million dollars). Codename Project Firecracker. ~70 miles from the Atlanta data center hub.SOURCE ↗
2023-10-30
tax_abatement_grantedMicrosoft granted a 12-year tax abatement by Floyd County / Rome authorities as part of the development deal. Minimum 150 permanent jobs committed.SOURCE ↗
§ 03
Officials & their industry receipts
2 TRACKED
Federal officials representing this project's district and what they've taken from data-center / AI / hyperscaler industry sources across cycles.
Jon Ossoff
U.S. Senator · GA
D
—
INDUSTRY $
Raphael G. Warnock
U.S. Senator · GA
D
—
INDUSTRY $
§ 07
Local voices
6 STATEMENTS
SUPPORT · 2024-05
“This veto prevents actions that would undermine investments made by high-technology data center operators and inhibit infrastructure and job development.”
— Brian Kemp, Gov. · GASOURCE ↗
SUPPORT · 2026-02
“AI requires enormous computing power, and that means enormous amounts of electricity. A permitting framework designed in the 1970s is not suited to infrastructure now central to national security.”
— Rich McCormick, Rep. · GA-06SOURCE ↗
SUPPORT · 2024-05
“This bill would undermine investments made by high-technology data center operators and inhibit important infrastructure and job development.”
— Brian Kemp, Gov. · GASOURCE ↗
OPPOSITION · 2024-02
“This is an immense subsidy for an industry that takes up a tremendous amount of resources, power and water.”
— Shaw Blackmon, State Rep. · GASOURCE ↗
NEUTRAL · 2025-09
“I'm not opposed to data centers but I am very much opposed to a scenario where everyday Georgians subsidize private infrastructure through higher utility bills. Transparency around projected energy use is essential.”
— RaShaun Kemp, State Sen. · GASOURCE ↗
OPPOSITION · 2026-03
“I don't think that billionaires like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos need tax incentives from the state of Georgia.”
— Jason Esteves, Gubernatorial Candidate · GASOURCE ↗
§ 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
$38.10M
American Edge Project
Budget
$30.00M
Big Tech 501(c)(4) advocating for policies that support American tech competitiveness. Funds state-level campaigns defending data center incentives and opposing moratoriums.
REPORTING ↗American Mission PAC
Budget
$5.00M
Affiliate of Leading the Future super PAC network. $5M cash on hand.
REPORTING ↗Data Center Coalition
Budget
$2.00M
Data center trade association. Spent $500K+ on federal lobbying last quarter alone. Federal lobbying spend tripled from $123K to $360K/quarter in 2025. Revenue grew from $583K (2022) to $2.5M (2023). Meanwhile Amazon spent $4M in lobbying last quarter pressing on 'data centers,' 'grid modernization,' 'energy production.' Electric manufacturing sector poured $226M into lobbying in 2025 — on pace for biggest year ever. 7 largest tech companies: $50M combined federal lobbying in first 9 months of 2025.
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 Georgia
Know when a new data center deal gets cut, who profits, and who signed off on it.
Follow the money in GA
Know when a new data center deal gets cut, who profits, and who signed off on it.
OR · ON THIS PROJECT