Ahead of data center vote, City Council hears from residents who want ban extended and workers who want it lifted
Charlotte City Council heard competing testimony on whether to extend the city’s moratorium on new data center development for up to 11 months before it expires Nov. 5. Residents cited energy, water, pollution and environmental justice concerns, while union workers argued that ending the moratorium would support construction jobs.
Residents and labor representatives addressed the Charlotte City Council as it considers extending the city’s data center moratorium for up to 11 months. Residents opposing new facilities held signs calling for a ban, while speakers including Social Justice Center Executive Director Akayla Galloway warned that data centers and the fossil-fuel infrastructure supporting them could worsen public health and disproportionately affect Black and frontline communities.
The moratorium has halted permitting for an American Tower expansion in east Charlotte, where nearby residents have raised concerns about noise, water and air pollution and impacts on Reedy Creek Nature Preserve. It does not apply to the larger Digital Realty Moores Chapel Road and PowerHouse University City projects. Union members, including electrician and organizer Melissa Reyes, urged the council to let the moratorium expire because data center construction and ongoing upgrades provide jobs, but most council members indicated they favored extending it while the city evaluates new policies.