In Cherokee County, officials are racing to limit data centers - even as a new one could be on the horizon
A potential 5-megawatt data center near Grape Creek outside Murphy has raised concerns among residents over power, water use, noise and environmental impacts. Cherokee County officials are working on a high-impact land-use ordinance, while the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has approved an indefinite moratorium on data center development on tribal lands.
Carolina Endeavors, a Florida-based company that owns more than 250 acres near Grape Creek outside Murphy, is reportedly examining the possibility of building a 5-megawatt data center on a quarter-acre site. The project has not been formally announced or permitted, but a power feasibility study and possible utility-pole relocation alerted residents, prompting a community meeting attended by about 200 people.
Cherokee County already hosts a data center operated by Core Scientific and two cryptocurrency mines, but residents and officials remain concerned about noise, water consumption, electricity demand and land-use impacts. County Commissioner Ben Adams is helping advance a high-impact land-use ordinance that would require county authorization and impose limits on development, water and energy use. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council has separately approved an indefinite moratorium on data centers within tribal lands, citing resource and quality-of-life concerns near the Qualla Boundary.