After roughly a 10-month pause, Microsoft’s 1 billion dollar data center build in Catawba County is back in gear. Crews have returned to four campuses spread across Conover, Hickory, Maiden and Newton, where local officials have spent months sorting through permits, incentive terms and a steady stream of neighborhood pushback. For many residents and municipal leaders, the restart finally ends the guessing game over whether the massive build would stay on schedule.
According to building permit records cited by the Charlotte Observer, commercial permits for the Catawba County sites were issued between November and December. Those filings list construction values that total about 909 million dollars, and the Observer reported that Microsoft had delayed the overall project for around 10 months before work began ramping up again.
Scott Millar, president of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, confirmed the permit activity and told the Charlotte Observer “there is little doubt Microsoft will achieve their investment requirements.” The incentive package that helped land the deal guarantees at least 1 billion dollars in investment over a 10-year performance window, according to the Catawba County EDC.
Microsoft’s Wider North Carolina Sweep
Catawba County is not the only North Carolina play on Microsoft’s board. In October 2024, the company bought roughly 1,350 acres in Person County for about 27 million dollars, where it is planning a separate data center campus. County officials say permitting for that project is set to begin this year.
In a public update, Person County reported that Microsoft has laid out commitments to keep water use in check, to replenish more water than it consumes and to “pay its own way” so the project does not push up local electricity prices, according to the county.
Power Needs Push Duke To Spend
On the utility side, Duke Energy is lining up resources to handle the wave of new demand. The company recently rolled out a 103 billion dollar, five-year capital plan that executives say is aimed in part at serving fast-growing data center loads.