Council Reverses Course On Data Center Moratorium

The Greensboro City Council unanimously voted to begin the legal process for a 120-day moratorium on new data centers requiring more than 10 megawatts of electrical power. This decision, made on August 3, 2026, marks a reversal from an earlier 5-4 vote against moving forward with a moratorium less than two weeks prior.

The action directs city staff, including City Manager Trey Davis and City Attorney Lora Cubbage, to publish required notices, prepare a proposed ordinance, and schedule a legislative public hearing for August 17. If approved after the hearing, the moratorium would temporarily halt the acceptance, processing, or approval of development applications for such data centers.

According to Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter, the temporary pause will allow Greensboro to gather facts, hear from the public, and make informed decisions regarding the potential effects of large data centers on the city's electrical grid, water system, public infrastructure, environment, and land-use policies. Councilmembers like Crystal Black and Cecile Crawford emphasized the council's commitment to listening to residents and finding a balanced solution that addresses environmental, economic, and neighborhood concerns.

This debate in Greensboro mirrors a national trend where local governments are grappling with the rapid growth of data centers, fueled by artificial intelligence, and their significant demands on electricity and water resources. The article also references Guilford County's past experience with "Project Haystack," a failed 2013 proposal for a massive data center complex that faced strong public opposition over land use and resource concerns.