New guardrails unveiled for data centers in North Carolina
North Carolina communities are adopting or considering temporary pauses on new data center proposals amid concerns about electricity costs, water use, infrastructure and environmental effects. Guilford County is scheduled to hold a public hearing on a proposed six-month moratorium, while Greensboro has already approved a 180-day pause.
Local governments across North Carolina are taking action as state lawmakers debate data center regulations. Counties including Guilford, Davie, Alamance and Orange have either adopted moratoriums or are considering them, with local officials citing concerns about power demand, ratepayer costs, water consumption, infrastructure and environmental impacts.
In Greensboro, city leaders approved a 180-day moratorium while they study the potential effects of data centers. Mayor Marrike Abuzaweer said officials want to understand the changing technology and protect air, water, neighborhoods and the broader environment. Guilford County commissioners have held a work session and scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 15 on a proposed six-month moratorium. State-level bills addressing energy costs, water use and a possible statewide moratorium ban have largely not become law.