Construction appears to have resumed at three Microsoft data-center campuses in Catawba County, North Carolina, after roughly seven months of limited visible activity. Aterio’s January and February 2026 satellite analysis identified new work at Lyle Creek, Boyd Farm and Stover North, but the campuses are not all at the same stage. Microsoft’s September 2026 update independently confirms substantial building construction at Lyle Creek; the latest company evidence reviewed for Stover is from May.
What the satellite imagery shows
Aterio compared satellite scenes and reported renewed activity at all three campuses. “Renewed activity” means visible site work, not completed buildings, energized data halls or operational facilities.
| Campus | Location | Change reported in imagery | Company corroboration and recency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyle Creek | Near Conover | New slab work in the February 10, 2026 image compared with November 11, 2025 | Microsoft’s September 2026 update confirms active construction on the first building |
| Boyd Farm | Near Maiden | Grading and new substation work in the southern part of the site | No newer Microsoft site-specific update was identified in the reviewed material |
| Stover North | Near Newton and Hickory | Substantial substation progress between July 13, 2025 and January 20, 2026; only limited work visible on concrete building pads | Microsoft reported utility and foundation work in May 2026; that is older than the September Lyle Creek update |
The visible changes were interpreted by Aterio. The underlying satellite scenes and Army Corps notices were not independently examined for this report, so the imagery establishes reported site activity rather than a uniform construction restart.
What Microsoft has confirmed
Lyle Creek has the clearest current confirmation
Microsoft’s September 2026 update said the exterior of Lyle Creek’s first building was nearing completion. Framing and drywall were underway, mechanical and electrical installation had begun, and crews were starting work in additional building areas. This is direct company confirmation of extensive construction at that campus.
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Stover’s public update is earlier
Microsoft’s May 2026 Hickory/Stover update said utility and foundation work was underway and that steel installation was expected at the end of June. It does not provide a September status, so it should not be treated as a current description of Stover North.
Boyd Farm remains supported primarily by satellite interpretation
Aterio’s reported grading and substation work indicate site preparation and electrical infrastructure activity. The reviewed material does not include a comparable, recent Microsoft construction update for Boyd Farm.
Did Microsoft pause its North Carolina data centers?
Aterio described roughly seven months of little activity and characterized the projects as slowed or paused before the renewed signals. The available evidence does not establish why activity slowed at any particular campus. It also does not show that Microsoft formally announced a pause, nor that all three campuses stopped work completely.
The most defensible conclusion is narrower: satellite analysis reported renewed work across three Catawba County sites, while Microsoft has directly confirmed ongoing construction at Lyle Creek. The evidence does not support saying that every North Carolina data center restarted at the same pace or that any campus is operating.
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How large are the planned campuses?
Aterio says each of the three campuses is planned for five buildings rated at 48 MW, based on its reading of Army Corps public notices. That produces a reported total of 15 buildings and 720 MW of critical IT load:
- 15 buildings: five planned at each of three campuses.
- 48 MW per building: the rating Aterio attributes to the filings.
- 720 MW total critical IT load: the arithmetic total of 15 × 48 MW.
These figures are filing-based estimates as presented by Aterio, not independently measured delivered capacity. Aterio also estimated about 810 MW of generator-backed nameplate capacity using a comparable Microsoft building design and assumed generator configuration. That 810 MW figure is an inference, not confirmed installed or operating capacity.
When could the first facility activate?
Aterio’s schedule places the earliest possible first activation in the third quarter of 2027. It describes late fourth quarter 2027 through the first quarter of 2028 as more realistic. These are forecasts, not dates Microsoft has committed to publicly.
Aterio also described at least $1 billion of investment phased over ten years, with development potentially continuing through about 2032. That description comes from Aterio’s account of local arrangements and should not be read as a verified current spending schedule.
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What the restart signal does—and does not—tell us
It indicates renewed site work
Slabs, grading and substations are meaningful construction signals. They show that physical work was visible again after a period of limited activity, particularly when scenes from different dates are compared.
It does not prove synchronized progress
Lyle Creek has building framing, drywall and building-services work confirmed by Microsoft. Boyd Farm’s reported changes are concentrated on grading and a substation. Stover North’s reported progress is weighted toward the substation, with less visible activity on building pads. Those are different stages, not equivalent milestones.
It does not prove operation or power delivery
Projected megawatts describe planned or inferred capacity. They do not demonstrate that buildings are complete, connected to the grid, commissioned or serving customers.
How to read the evidence
- Separate observation from interpretation. Satellite scenes show surface changes; Aterio supplies the interpretation of what those changes represent.
- Check the campus and date. Lyle Creek has a September 2026 company update, while the reviewed Stover update is from May and Boyd Farm lacks a comparable company status report.
- Distinguish construction from activation. Substations, foundations and slabs precede commissioning and do not establish an in-service data center.
- Treat capacity and schedules as estimates unless Microsoft confirms them. The 720 MW, 810 MW and 2027–2028 dates are attributed calculations or forecasts.
Why the wording matters
Sergio Toro, Aterio’s CEO, told BetaNews: “The pattern is hard to ignore, three dormant campuses, all moving at once. That’s the kind of early signal we look for in every project.” This is Aterio’s characterization of satellite signals, not a statement from Microsoft and not independent confirmation of a formal restart.
Bottom line
Reported satellite changes point to renewed construction activity at Lyle Creek, Boyd Farm and Stover North in Catawba County. Lyle Creek is the only one with a current September 2026 Microsoft construction confirmation in the reviewed evidence. The campuses are progressing differently, their capacity figures remain attributed estimates, and any first-activation date in late 2027 or early 2028 remains a forecast.
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