Nurses and environmentalists are calling for a halt to the construction of data centers in Asheville.
Nurses, environmentalists and Asheville residents called for a two-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction in North Carolina. Organizers cited potential impacts on water, energy use and community health and urged regulations before additional projects are built.
Nurses, environmental advocates and residents gathered at Pack Square in downtown Asheville to demand a two-year statewide halt on construction of new data centers in North Carolina. The event followed a similar call in Durham and focused on the need for safeguards addressing data centers' effects on water resources, electricity demand and public health.
Mission Hospital nurse Hannah Drummond invoked the medical precautionary principle, arguing that data centers should not be built until their safety is demonstrated. MountainTrue representative Anna Alsobrook and North Carolina Budget and Tax Center analyst Alex Campbell also participated, while organizers warned that proposed constitutional amendments could encourage local governments to pursue more data center development. Governor Josh Stein was mentioned in connection with the state's growing use of artificial intelligence in hospitals.