How a change buried in NC Helene relief bill makes it harder to block data centers

Chatham County, North Carolina has approved a one-year moratorium on new data centers to review regulation, but a provision in a recent state disaster relief bill has complicated their efforts. The bill limits local governments' ability to 'down-zone' properties without the written approval of all affected owners, disrupting how municipalities have historically adjusted zoning to accommodate growth and new uses like data centers. Local leaders say this new down-zoning law is problematic and has caused issues for many North Carolina municipalities.