Cherokee County residents were upset about crypto mines - then came AI

In Cherokee County, North Carolina, a former cryptocurrency mine in the town of Marble, operated by Core Scientific, is being converted into a large-scale artificial intelligence data center, sparking widespread concern among residents like Rebecca and Tom Lash. The Lashes, whose home near Murphy is close to the facility, describe a once peaceful environment now disturbed by a constant electric hum and worry about increased noise, heavy equipment, and water consumption. This development highlights the challenges faced by rural communities lacking land-use rules. Cherokee County, which has no zoning, made it easy for Core Scientific to pivot its operation. The company had initially planned a merger with CoreWeave, which fell through, but the conversion to AI workloads is proceeding. This "hyperscaler" facility consumes power equivalent to a medium-sized town and relies on three onsite wells and a small amount of municipal water, with the town of Andrews ultimately denying wastewater hookup due to the company's lack of an environmental plan. Cherokee County Commissioner Ben Adams, who ran on an anti-crypto platform, has voiced strong opposition, attempting to renew an expired moratorium on crypto mining and extend it to AI data centers. However, his proposal was rejected by other commissioners who cited concerns about the cost of fighting a potential legal challenge, referencing a Trump executive order discouraging state and local AI regulation. Despite this setback and his decision not to seek reelection, Adams plans to reconvene the planning board to explore other ordinances to manage data center growth without implementing broad zoning laws, reflecting a broader regional trend where other Western North Carolina communities have enacted or are considering moratoriums.