Pro-data center group trying to change opinions in NC with ad campaigns
A pro-data center lobbying group, North Carolina Connects, has launched a $367,272 ad campaign across North Carolina to promote the economic benefits of data centers. This campaign aims to counter growing community opposition and local moratoriums in several cities and counties, as well as two proposed state legislative bills to regulate the industry. The ads address concerns about energy and water usage while highlighting job creation and tax revenue.
North Carolina Connects, a lobbying group for the data center industry, has initiated a substantial advertising campaign across North Carolina, spending $367,272 on billboards, television, and radio commercials. The campaign aims to shift public opinion by promoting the economic and business benefits of data centers, such as job creation and tax revenue, which the group claims can fund schools, hospitals, and local infrastructure. This effort comes amidst significant community pushback against data center development in the state, with over two dozen counties and cities having enacted moratoriums or ordinances to regulate new facilities.
Local examples of such actions include moratoriums in Woodfin and Asheville, while Buncombe County, Henderson County, and Weaverville already have limiting ordinances. Hendersonville is currently considering a moratorium. Additionally, two bills in the state legislature are proposed to impose new regulations on the industry, which lawmakers might consider after July 27. The ads specifically try to counter common criticisms regarding data centers' high demand for energy and their impact on water supply and quality, emphasizing the industry's commitment to covering its costs.
North Carolina Connects is an offshoot of America Connects, sharing leadership with the Data Center Coalition, including Chairman Kevin Hughes, President Josh Levi, and Treasurer Allison Gilmore. Members of the Data Center Coalition include major players like Google, Microsoft, CyrusOne, and Amazon, which have significant data center operations or projects in North Carolina, such as Amazon's $10 billion campus in Richmond County and CyrusOne's proposed $900 million facility in Lee County. Mary Maclean Asbill, state director of the Southern Environmental Law Center, expressed a desire for tangible evidence from the industry to address community concerns, rather than just advertising claims.