Power
Power and the grid
Sources on record, size not disclosed
- Duke Energy temporary bridge-power engines (57) Permitted, challengedengine count only; for Amazon's facility alone until grid hookup; must retire within a year of starting State agency · Aug. 2026
- Duke Energy Progress grid Plannedserving utility; campus expected to become Duke's largest customer (press); no MW or connection date published News report · Sept. 2026
Getting on the grid
Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.
- July 30, 2026Joint air-permit hearingState air regulators take comment on draft permits for Amazon's backup engines and Duke's bridge-power engines. State agency · July 2026
- Aug. 28, 2026Bridge-power permit issued to Duke57 temporary engines on Amazon's property may power the facility until it connects to the grid. State agency · Aug. 2026
- Sept. 18, 2026Duke's nearby turbine deniedRegulators deny, without prejudice, Duke's request for a 255 MW gas turbine at its Smith complex across from the campus, calling data-center load growth not reliable enough on the record (press). News report · Sept. 2026
- Not setGrid connection date: not publishedAmazon has not said how the campus will ultimately be powered, its capacity, or when it will open (press). News report · Oct. 2026
- No campus MW figure appears in the state permits, the Governor's announcement or Amazon's statements; the generator totals are unit counts, not capacity. State agency · Oct. 2026
- Duke serves this load under its tariffs, so no utility commission docket exists for the campus itself. State agency · Oct. 2026
On-site generation on file
- Air permit (bridge) North Carolina DEQ, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) · Final air quality permit issued… · Issued (final permit, Aug. 28, 2026)… · Aug. 28, 2026air permit (bridge) - DAQ's final permit authorizes Duke Energy Progress to operate 57 temporary non-emergency diesel bridge power engines on Amazon's Energy Way Tech Campus property (Airport Road, Hamlet, Richmond… State agency · Aug. 2026
Permits
Permits checklist
2 contested · 2 granted
Local approvals and state air permits on record.
- !Air permit, 588 emergency backup engines (Amazon) ContestedNC Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality · Aug. 28, 2026: issued; petition to vacate filed Sept. 25, 2026 State agency · Aug. 2026
- !Air permit, 57 bridge-power engines (Duke Energy Progress) ContestedNC Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality · Aug. 28, 2026: issued; petition to vacate filed Sept. 25, 2026 State agency · Aug. 2026
- ✓Rezoning of the former county chicken farm to heavy industrial GrantedRichmond County Board of Commissioners · April 2025: hearings did not disclose a data center (press) News report · April 2025
- ✓County incentive package GrantedRichmond County Board of Commissioners · June 3, 2025: unanimous, per a press review of the record News report · June 2025
Risks
What could slow it down
- HighAir permits challengedA residents' coalition asks a judge to vacate both generator permits, arguing they should have been reviewed as one major source; the state says the two sets are separately controlled (allegation, undecided). see Lawsuits
- MediumGrid timingThe campus would lean on temporary Duke engines until it connects to the grid, and those engines must retire within a year of starting. State agency · Aug. 2026
- MediumLocal oppositionResidents are petitioning for a 12-month moratorium on new data centers and for tax breaks matching Amazon's (press). News report · Oct. 2026
- WatchSecret-deal scrutinyRezoning and land-sale hearings in 2025 did not disclose that the land would become a data center (press). News report · Aug. 2026
Lawsuits
1 case on record
- Pending Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment v. NC DEQ (two petitions)NC Office of Administrative Hearings News report · Sept. 2026filed Sept. 25, 2026; alleges the split permits dodge major-source Clean Air Act review (allegation); no ruling or stay reported
Money
Money on record
$10B
announced investment
largest single capital investment in state history, per local coverage News report · June 2025
50% / 65%
county tax grants on real and personal property
for 20 years; requires $1B and 50 jobs by end of 2030 News report · June 2025
$26M
county land sale approved by commissioners (press)
the deed later stated a different price News report · May 2025
~$35M
Amazon's water and sewer investment
plus tens of millions for fiber (press) News report · June 2025
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- April 2025Permits Under a confidential purchase deal, commissioners rezone the old county chicken farm to heavy industrial News report · April 2025
- May 2025Site Commissioners vote to combine county parcels and sell them for $26M to 'Project Blue Marlin' News report · May 2025
- June 3, 2025Money County approves 20-year tax grants for Amazon News report · June 2025
- June 4, 2025Site Governor announces Amazon's $10B campus and at least 500 jobs State agency · June 2025
- Oct. 2025Construction Amazon breaks ground; land clearing began about a month earlier News report · Oct. 2025
- July 30, 2026Permits About 200 attend the state air-permit hearing; 36 speakers all oppose the project (press) News report · July 2026
- Aug. 28, 2026Permits State issues air permits for Amazon's 588 backup engines and Duke's 57 bridge-power engines State agency · Aug. 2026
- Sept. 18, 2026Power Regulators deny Duke's 255 MW gas turbine at the Smith complex across from the campus; Duke may refile (press) News report · Sept. 2026
- Sept. 25, 2026Legal Residents' coalition, represented by SELC, petitions to vacate both air permits News report · Sept. 2026
- 2030Money Incentive deadline: at least $1B invested and 50 jobs by the end of 2030 News report · June 2025
The buildings
Specs
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Owners
- Amazon Data Services, Inc. (AWS): owner and operator
Decision-makers
- Richmond County Board of Commissioners: land sale, rezoning and tax grants
- NC Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality: generator permits
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings: hears the permit challenge
Power partners
- Duke Energy Progress: serving utility and owner of the bridge-power engines
Builders
- Walbridge Southeast: construction firm
Opponents
- Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center
- Residents' moratorium petition
Still unknown
Open questions
- Campus MW and grid connection date.
- Opening date for the first buildings.
- Outcome of the air-permit challenge.
Where this comes from
54 records from 21 documents
Drawn from news reports, state agency records, public and commercial datasets and company statements, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 15State agency 4Dataset 1Company 1
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (7)
- Project identity: Amazon Data Services Energy Way Tech Campus (Project Blue Marlin), Energy Way Industrial Park / Airport Road, Hamlet, Richmond County, NC“Amazon's air quality permit allows for the operation of 588 emergency backup engines at its Energy Way Tech Campus data center on Airport Road in Hamlet.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- Backup generator fleet: 588 critical/ancillary diesel emergency generators permitted to Amazon (592 in the application incl. 4 ancillary) plus 57 Duke Energy temporary bridge-power generators - counts only, no MW total s“Duke Energy's air quality permit allows for the operation of 57 temporary non-emergency bridge power engines that will provide energy to Amazon's facility until the data center is connected to the power grid.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- Project status: under construction (ground broken Oct 2025; land clearing began about a month earlier); final NC DEQ air permits issued Aug 28, 2026 and challenged Sept 25, 2026“Both air quality permits related to the Amazon data center campus at the Energy Way Industrial Park have been approved”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Utility: Duke Energy Progress (Duke Energy)“When fully operational, this facility will be Duke Energy's largest customer.”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Serving utility is Duke Energy Progress; the campus (~800 acres, ~21 buildings of ~200k sq ft, $10B, ~500 jobs, ground broken) is expected to become Duke Energy's largest customer. The site sits near Duke's Sherwood H. S“adding an administrative legal test to a project expected to become Duke Energy's largest customer.”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- The deal was negotiated under the code name Project Blue Marlin; spring 2025 rezoning and land-sale hearings disclosed neither the company nor that the land would become a data center, and Amazon initially sought to keep“no public documents or commission discussions disclosed that the land would become a data center”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- permits issued late Aug 2026 (Amazon 592 generators; Duke 57 bridge-power)“widespread community opposition expressed during a public hearing attended by nearly two hundred people on July 30 at the Old Richmond County Courthouse in Rockingham”News report · July 2026 · grade C
Money and contracts (9)
- Developer: Amazon Data Services, Inc. (AWS)“Today Governor Josh Stein announced that Amazon is planning to invest $10 billion to launch a new high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation campus in Richmond County”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Announced investment: 10 USD billions“Amazon is planning to invest $10 billion to launch a new high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation campus in Richmond County, creating at least 500 new high-paying, high-tech jobs.”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Tenant: Amazon Web Services (owner-operator; capacity serves AWS cloud/AI customers)“Amazon today announced plans to invest an estimated $10 billion in North Carolina to expand its data center infrastructure to support AI and cloud computing technologies.”Company · June 2025 · grade B
- Planned buildings: 21 buildings of about 200,000 sq ft each at full buildout (permit-application basis)“Amazon's plans for the data center include 21 buildings, about 200,000 square feet each, on nearly 800 acres at full buildout.”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Project status: under construction“Amazon's $10 billion data center is the largest in North Carolina currently under construction”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Infrastructure commitment (announced with the incentive package): water, sewer and fiber investment 35 USD millions (water and sewer infrastructure, plus tens of millions for fiber)“Amazon is also planning to invest around $35 million in water and sewer infrastructure, as well as tens of millions of dollars to build fiber connectivity throughout the region”News report · June 2025 · grade C
- County economic development incentive agreement (Project Blue Marlin): property tax grant 50 percent annual cash grant on real estate taxes; 65 percent on personal property (machinery and equipment) taxes, for 20 years“A confidential agreement dated April 3, 2025, detailed the incentives for Project Blue Marlin: a 50 percent property tax break on the buildings and a 65 percent reduction on machinery and equipment over 20 years.”News report · June 2025 · grade C
- $10B investment (largest single capital investment in NC history per local coverage) and at least 500 high-skilled / permanent jobs, announced Jun 2025 for Richmond County specifically“Amazon has promised the development will create 500 permanent jobs.”News report · June 2025 · grade C
- Land purchase agreement and sale (Project Blue Marlin): land sale 26 USD millions (commissioners' approved sale price“In early May 2025, Richmond County Commissioners publicly voted to combine several county-owned parcels and sell them for $26 million to Project Blue Marlin”News report · May 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (10)
- Allows operation of 588 emergency backup engines (diesel/renewable diesel) at th: final permit issued“Amazon's air quality permit allows for the operation of 588 emergency backup engines at its Energy Way Tech Campus data center on Airport Road in Hamlet.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- Allows 57 temporary non-emergency bridge-power engines on the Amazon property to: final permit issued“Duke Energy is required to retire the engines within a year of starting operations.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- Permit allows operation of 588 emergency backup engines at the Energy Way Tech C: Air quality permit ISSUED - Amazon Data Services, Energy Way Tech Campus (Hamlet)“Amazon’s air quality permit allows for the operation of 588 emergency backup engines at its Energy Way Tech Campus data center on Airport Road in Hamlet.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- Permit allows 57 temporary non-emergency 'bridge power' engines to supply the Am: Air quality permit ISSUED - Duke Energy Progress, Richmond County Turbines (bridge power)“Duke Energy’s air quality permit allows for the operation of 57 temporary non-emergency “bridge power” engines that will provide energy to Amazon’s facility until the data center is connected to the power grid.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
- air permit (bridge): Issued (final permit, Aug. 28, 2026); contested-case petitions filed Sept. 25, 2026“Duke Energy’s air quality permit allows for the operation of 57 temporary non-emergency “bridge power” engines that will provide energy to Amazon’s facility until the data center is connected to the power grid.”State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade B
- A Change.org petition by Richmond County residents demands a 12-month moratorium on future data center development, amendment of the UDO provisions that allow data centers by right in Heavy Industrial zoning, and residen“under Project Blue Marlin, Richmond County authorized a 50% annual cash grant in Amazon's real estate taxes and a 65% annual cash grant in personal property taxes for 20 years”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- NCUC denied Duke's CPCN for a 255 MW, ~$584M natural-gas simple-cycle turbine at: certificate denied (without prejudice; Duke may refile)“North Carolina regulators have denied Duke Energy's proposal to construct and operate a 255-MW natural gas-fueled simple cycle combustion turbine at its Smith Energy Complex in Richmond County”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- NC DEQ Division of Air Quality (public hearing, Old Richmond County Courthouse, Rockingham):“The 36 speakers, almost entirely residents from Hamlet or nearby towns in Richmond County, spoke unanimously in opposition to the new data center.”News report · July 2026 · grade C
- Richmond County Board of Commissioners:“Richmond County commissioners approved an incentives package for Amazon on Tuesday.”News report · June 2025 · grade C
- The confidential Mar 19, 2025 purchase agreement required the county to rezone t: rezoned to heavy industrial“The terms of the agreement required the county to rezone the old chicken farm to heavy industrial. The commissioners did so two weeks later.”News report · April 2025 · grade C
Legal (3)
- On Sept 25, 2026 SELC, for the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, filed two contested-case petitions in the NC Office of Administrative Hearings asking an administrative law judge to vacate both“Amazon applied for and received a state air permit to install 592 diesel-fired emergency generators to provide backup power during electricity outages”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- B6 DECISIVE: Sep 25, 2026 - Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, via SELC, filed OAH contested-case petitions asking an administrative law judge to vacate both generator air permits, alleging the“Separate permits for diesel-fired generators at North Carolina site evade responsibility for high levels of harmful air pollution”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- On Sep 25, 2026, SELC filed contested-case petitions at the NC Office of Administrative Hearings on behalf of the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, asking to vacate BOTH permits. Petitioners ar“The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the petition Sept. 25 on behalf of the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment challenging air quality permits issued in late August”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (3)
- County code: 37153“FCC Census Block API for site point 34.818285,-79.721631: Block FIPS 371539711003060; County FIPS 37153, Richmond County, North Carolina”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Site acres: 646.866 acres“According to the deed of sale, Richmond County, one of the most economically distressed counties in North Carolina, inexplicably conveyed 646.866 acres of real property to Amazon”News report · July 2026 · grade C
- Ceremonial groundbreaking held at Hamlet's Cole Auditorium in late Oct 2025; Walbridge had already cleared about 250 acres of the 700-plus-acre industrial park and land clearing had begun about a month earlier“Amazon officially started clearing land at Energy Way Industrial Park about a month ago for its planned data center campus, which will eventually feature 20 buildings on site.”News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C