Residents urge Greene County commissioners to consider data center moratorium
Residents of Greene County, North Carolina, urged county commissioners to consider a 12- to 24-month moratorium on data center development. Concerns were raised regarding land use, utility capacity, water needs, and potential noise/air pollution. Commissioners heard the requests but did not take immediate action or schedule a vote.
Greene County residents voiced their concerns before the Greene County commissioners on Monday, urging the board to consider a moratorium on data centers, including those for artificial intelligence. The residents cited issues such as potential impacts on farmland, excessive water and power consumption, and the implications of a possible project near Burnett Road.
The discussion took place during the August 17 meeting at the Greene County Operations Center. Despite residents requesting a 12- to 24-month pause on new data center developments and more public information on land use, utility capacity, cooling water needs, and noise/air pollution, commissioners did not list a data center item for board action. They neither voted on a moratorium nor set a date for future discussion, nor did they direct staff to prepare a moratorium proposal.
Residents referenced similar discussions about data center moratoriums in nearby Farmville, suggesting Greene County should conduct its own study on potential impacts before any projects advance. The meeting concluded with other county business, including a proclamation for Child Support Awareness Month and approval of an ABC Board profit distribution, before commissioners entered a closed session for economic development matters, which included accepting an offer for a housing development.