Video by Champ Lyerly
A proposed data center in Person County, North Carolina, has farmer Bryce Berryhill worried about his family’s farm. Berryhill, who owns The Hill of Berries Farm, says his family has farmed here for generations. He’s concerned the project could lead to more development in a county where farmland is already shrinking, put extra pressure on a water system he believes is struggling, and make it harder to move equipment between fields since the county closed a road near the site. Microsoft says its data centers are built to use water efficiently. People in other parts of North Carolina have raised similar concerns. In Apex, leaders pointed to water demand as a major issue, and the town has paused new data centers for a year. Some people see the project as an economic opportunity. Others feel uncertain about it. Residents in Person County say the effects could last for generations.
