Opposition to Data Centers Intensifies in North Carolina

Data center moratoriums continue to expand across the state, according to an analysis by the N.C. Data Center Newsletter. As developers race to build data centers to meet a growing demand for computing power for AI, residents across the country are increasingly trying to limit where they can be built, Inside Towers reported.

Concerns range from worries about increased electricity costs and water use to noise levels and aesthetics. They’re playing out in real time in the Triangle, notes Axios. 

Orange County passed a one-year moratorium on data centers in late April. Earlier in that month, Apex passed one also after a developer attempted to build a data center there. Several data centers already operate in Research Triangle Park.

The Charlotte City Council will discuss data centers at its May 11 meeting. Some council members want a moratorium on data centers until regulations can be put in place. Mayor Vi Lyles shot down a motion to hold a public hearing on data centers in a tie-breaking vote Monday night, the Charlotte Observer reported. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking about something without having some research and some information around it, so I am a no,” Lyles said.
“This feels like the wild west right now, and we need some guardrails in place,” said councilwoman Dimple Ajmera, who lives near American Tower’s proposed center in east Charlotte. 

The moratoriums could be tested in the courts. The North Carolina General Assembly could also address the matter in its current session. Chatham County is being sued by a developer over a moratorium it passed, the Triangle Business Journal reported. Governor Josh Stein has called for lawmakers to review tax breaks that exist in the state for data centers.