Duke Energy has signed power agreements with Microsoft and Compass to supply electricity to massive data center complexes under construction in North Carolina. The deals come as artificial intelligence applications drive unprecedented demand for computing power and the energy infrastructure to support it.

The North Carolina facilities represent a significant expansion of cloud computing capacity in the southeastern United States. Duke Energy will provide the electrical infrastructure needed to power these energy-intensive operations, which require constant, reliable power to maintain server operations and cooling systems. The agreements highlight the growing interdependence between tech giants and utility companies as data centers become increasingly critical to business operations.

This development reflects the broader trend of tech companies investing heavily in physical infrastructure to support AI workloads. As companies race to build out computing capacity for machine learning and other AI applications, the need for robust power infrastructure has become paramount. The partnerships between Duke Energy, Microsoft, and Compass demonstrate how traditional utilities are adapting to serve the evolving needs of the digital economy.