Frisbie-Fulton: Data center organizing putting candidates on notice across N.C.
Residents in Stokes County have organized against Project Delta, a proposed 1,848-acre hyperscale data center along the Dan River, citing noise, water use, pollution and higher electricity prices. After commissioners approved the project’s rezoning, local opposition helped defeat several incumbents, and the board later voided the rezoning and scheduled a new hearing for Sept. 14.
Project Delta, a proposed 1,848-acre hyperscale data center in rural Stokes County, has prompted widespread local opposition over potential noise, water consumption, air pollution and electricity costs. The project would use methane gas generators while awaiting a connection to the Duke Energy grid. The county planning board recommended against the rezoning needed for the development, but the Stokes County Board of Commissioners initially approved it and adopted an amendment that could have enabled similar projects countywide.
The decision became a major issue in local primaries, where residents defeated the commissioners who had supported the project. The board subsequently voided its earlier rezoning decision and scheduled a new public hearing for Sept. 14. Columnist Gwen Frisbie-Fulton argues that data center fights are mobilizing North Carolina voters and pushing candidates to state their positions on development, land and water use, and energy policy.