North Carolina data center developers are moving hyperscale projects forward at hyperspeed

North Carolina is experiencing a rapid boom in hyperscale data center development, prompting significant concerns and local opposition across the state. In Danbury, Stokes County, approximately 100 residents protested a proposed data center, chanting "no data centers" due to environmental worries, specifically referencing a past coal ash spill into the Dan River from a Duke Energy plant. Similarly, in Salisbury, Rowan County, residents questioned a Duke Energy request for new natural gas generators, fearing they would power unwanted AI data centers. The article, part of a six-part series by BPR, NC Newsroom, WFAE, and WUNC, explores the political, environmental, and economic implications of these massive computing facilities, which power AI and cloud services. While some communities, like Forest City, have had positive experiences with older data centers, such as Meta's facility, the scale of new hyperscale projects is dramatically different; a proposed Edgecombe County project, for instance, is slated to consume 30 times the energy of Meta's Forest City site. Utilities like Duke Energy are accelerating the use of fossil fuels to meet the surging power demands from data centers, threatening North Carolina's 2050 carbon neutrality goal. Assistant state climatologist Corey Davis from the North Carolina State Climate Office also highlighted climate change's impact on water resources, adding another layer of environmental uncertainty for communities considering data center developments. Developers are seeking to build these facilities rapidly, often considering multiple states simultaneously to secure the fastest power supply.