Pitt County town temporarily stops data center for a year following community opposition
Farmville, NC, town commissioners unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development after residents voiced strong opposition due to environmental and energy cost concerns. The freeze allows town staff to review ordinances and develop land use standards. East Energy Renewables had proposed a data center for the area.
Farmville, North Carolina, town commissioners unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments. This decision followed a public hearing where residents, including Lynn Faircloth, voiced strong opposition to a potential data center project. Concerns raised by the community included the environmental impact and the potential for rising energy costs.
East Energy Renewables, which operates under the name East Energy Data and has a headquarters in Farmville, had presented plans for a data center network in eastern North Carolina to the town council in February. Farmville Mayor Alex Joyner stated that the one-year pause will allow the board to gather more information and review ordinance language to develop standards for unique land uses. However, the mayor emphasized that the possibility of a data center coming to Farmville in the future is not being ruled out.