Guilford Commissioners Take First Step Toward Data Center Moratorium
Guilford County Commissioners have voted to schedule a public hearing for a proposed 180-day moratorium on new data center projects. This pause will allow county officials to develop specific zoning regulations, as the current ordinance does not adequately address the facilities. The move is a response to growing concerns over the environmental and infrastructural impacts of large data centers.
Guilford County Commissioners unanimously voted to schedule an Oct. 15 public hearing for a proposed 180-day moratorium on new data center projects. This decision, made on Thursday, Sept. 17, aims to provide county officials with time to draft specific regulations for the increasingly large and resource-intensive facilities. The county currently lacks a zoning ordinance that explicitly defines or regulates data centers, often treating them as light industrial or warehouse uses.
Planning Director Leslie Bell informed commissioners that no major data center applications are currently pending in unincorporated Guilford County, providing a "breathing room" for this regulatory pause. Economic Development Director Heather Schaeffer highlighted the diverse nature of data centers, from small "edge" facilities to enormous hyperscale operations, and noted the county already hosts a significant American Express data center. Commissioner Alan Perdue emphasized the need for tailored regulations, stating that a "one size fits all" approach is a fallacy, while Commissioner Pat Tillman cautioned against automatically viewing data centers as undesirable given their economic benefits and national security implications.
Concerns raised during the session included enormous electricity and water demands, noise, heat, air quality, compatibility with residential areas, land consumption, and the long-term issue of decommissioning abandoned facilities. County staff indicated that the moratorium period would be used to define data centers within the ordinance, designate permissible zoning districts, and establish approval processes, potentially including conditional zoning or special use permits. The proposed timeline for developing these regulations would fit within the 180-day moratorium.
This local initiative aligns with a broader trend across North Carolina, where at least 18 cities or towns and several counties have already enacted data center moratoriums. The North Carolina General Assembly also debated statewide data center regulations in its 2025-2026 session, including bills addressing utility rates, environmental impacts, and a potential two-year statewide moratorium, although these state-level bills have not yet been enacted.