Here’s who is helping Charlotte city officials with data center research – for free
The city of Charlotte, NC, is receiving free research assistance from the World Resources Institute to develop policies for data centers during an existing 5-month moratorium. City council members are exploring extending the moratorium, which was implemented due to the rapid growth of the industry outpacing regulations. A task force has also been formed to address data center issues.
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, is actively engaged in developing policies for data center development, a move prompted by a five-month moratorium enacted in June. Deputy City Manager Alyson Craig previously informed council members about the city's collaboration with a consultant to study the impacts of data centers. WBTV's records request revealed this consultant to be the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global nonprofit providing research assistance to the city at no cost due to its own research interests in data center implementation and alignment with climate, affordability, and equity goals.
Charlotte City Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera, who spearheaded the 150-day moratorium, is now advocating for its extension. She emphasized that the measure is not anti-growth but necessary because current regulations have not kept pace with the rapid expansion of the data center industry. The city recently established a data center task force, which Ajmera confirmed is still being populated.