Raleigh approves 6-month data center moratorium as activists push for longer pause
The Raleigh City Council voted 7-1 to impose a six-month moratorium on approvals for certain large-scale data centers while the city studies their potential effects on utilities, the environment and nearby communities. Activists supported a pause but argued that six months is too short and raised concerns about electricity and water use, pollution, noise and environmental justice.
The Raleigh City Council approved a six-month moratorium on approvals for certain large-scale data centers, giving city officials time to study impacts on utilities, the environment and surrounding neighborhoods. The moratorium passed 7-1 after a public hearing, and the city plans to release proposed regulations for public comment before Planning Commission review and a later council vote.
Residents and community advocates urged the council to adopt a substantially longer pause, with some calling for 32 months of study and public engagement. Rania Masri of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and Mickey Brigham of the Party for Socialism and Liberation cited potential electricity and water demand, pollution, noise, light, heat and disproportionate effects on communities of color. Brigham also referenced a proposed 100,000-square-foot facility in southeast Raleigh that developers withdrew after local opposition.
City attorney Jennifer Ashton said state law limits Raleigh's ability to prohibit data centers through zoning and could expose the city to legal challenges. Council member Megan Patton defended the six-month period as an appropriate and responsive timeframe, while officials prepare data-center-specific regulations under the city's existing development code.