The company will invest $348 million in second expansion within 16 months, creating 30 new jobs.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has announced that Microsoft Corp. will invest $348 million to expand its modular data center site in Mecklenburg County. The company will build two additional facilities on its data center campus to increase capacity to serve its growing customer base. The project will create 30 new jobs. Microsoft's original project in 2010 involved an investment of up to $499 million and 50 new jobs. In 2011 the company invested an additional $150 million to expand the site. As part of its commitment to carbon neutrality, Microsoft is offsetting the gross carbon emissions from this data center by purchasing an equivalent amount of renewable energy credits.
Speaking about today's announcement, Governor McDonnell said, "In 2010 we were confident that Microsoft's plans to establish one of its most advanced data centers in Mecklenburg County would be a transformational project. This second expansion within 16 months of the previous one is a great testament to Microsoft's success and commitment to Virginia. The company continues to grow its cloud operations, representing a total of nearly one billion dollars in capital investment. The Commonwealth is one of the most active data center markets in the country, and Microsoft's rapid development helps continue to establish us an industry leader."