Report challenges tax revenue projections for Stokes County data center

April Laissle — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:08:56 GMT

Cars drive past data centers that house computer servers and hardware required to support modern internet use, such as artificial intelligence, in Ashburn, Virginia, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)(Ted Shaffrey / AP)

A new report claims a proposed data center in Stokes County will generate far less tax revenue than the developers have projected.

Economist Michael Hicks of Shenandoah University estimates that Project Delta will generate between $20 and $40 million in tax revenue over 10 years. The developer, Engineered Land Solutions, has said it could generate that much every year.

The disparity comes down to a disagreement over how big the project will ultimately be. Hicks based his estimates on a $1 billion investment. ELS has said that number could top $7 billion at full build-out.

“That is just I think not consistent with the observation of data center deployments around the country," Hicks said at a press conference. "It's just not plausible.”

In a statement, ELS CEO Drew Nations said the report doesn’t adequately explain why the project wouldn't reach full build-out.

"We stand by our tax revenue projections of $40 million per year at full build-out — enough to make Stokes County teachers among the highest-paid in North Carolina while simultaneously cutting property taxes," he said.

The research was funded by the Southern Environmental Law Center, which previously sued Stokes County over the project's rezoning.