Commissioners approve moratorium on data centers
Beaufort County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data center development by a 6-1 vote. The pause will allow the county to study potential impacts and develop zoning rules, including concerns about electricity infrastructure, farmland preservation and industrial development.
The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers, with Commissioner Hood Richardson the sole dissenting vote. The county plans to form an advisory committee, consult experts and draft zoning rules before bringing an ordinance back to the board for final approval and public comment.
Commissioners said the moratorium would give the county time to evaluate data centers despite limited utility infrastructure and concerns about power requirements, farmland preservation and rural development. Chairman Frankie Waters, Commissioners Stan Deatherage, Tandy Dunn and Randy Walker, and Vice Chairman Jerry Langley supported using the pause to establish protections and assess whether future projects would be feasible.