Dem Senate hopeful pivots on data centers as rising power costs collide with campaign
Leo Briceno
Fox News
August 30, 2026
Despite having once applauded the growth of data centers during his tenure as North Carolina governor, Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper is now pitching voters with ways to reel in their expansion as he wages a bid for U.S. Senate.
…
According to research from CBRE, a commercial real estate firm, the investments have paid off, bringing a 15x jump in data center construction that largely began to spur growth during Cooper’s term as governor.
…
In one especially notable case, Cooper’s administration went further.
Unlike most companies that qualified for the state’s general tax breaks, Apple received more incentives from North Carolina in 2019 in the form of a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). The grant aimed to further the company’s data center development in Maiden, North Carolina, according to the tech giant’s 2019 annual report.
Through the JDIG agreement, the company secured an $845 million grant over a period of 39 years alongside another $112.4 million that would go to an industrial development fund to build out rural infrastructure.
At the time, Cooper celebrated the announcement, touting in a press release that the project was estimated to create 3,000 jobs.
“Innovation has long been North Carolina’s calling card and Apple’s decision to build this new campus in the Research Triangle showcases the importance of our state’s favorable business climate, world-class universities, our tech-ready workforce, and the welcoming and diverse communities that make so many people want to call North Carolina home,” Cooper said.
“This announcement will benefit communities across our state, and we are proud to work together to continue to grow our economy and bring transformational industries and good-paying jobs to North Carolina.”
Also during Cooper’s time as governor, companies like Meta, Corvid Technologies, GIGA, Microsoft, Segra and Google all either completed projects or announced new data center expansion in North Carolina. State reporting found that between 2015 and 2025, 37 companies had secured state tax exemptions. Like Apple, Corvid Technologies also received a JDIG: a $9 million reimbursement from the state spread over 12 years that would facilitate the construction of two, three-story data centers, according to a press release. The company also was set to partner with local groups like Duke Energy, a utility company.
Cooper praised that development, although he didn’t mention the data centers themselves.
“North Carolina is the perfect choice for Corvid, thanks to our world-class universities, major military installations, and highly skilled workers,” Gov. Cooper said. “I’m pleased Corvid decided to keep growing right here by bringing more, good-paying engineering jobs and its headquarters to Mooresville,” Cooper said.
A few years later, developments like the one with Corvid have flipped on their heads as figures like Cooper’s successor, Gov. Josh Stein, have pointed to data centers as a driver of rising utility costs through providers like Duke.
Read more here
###