Hundreds call on NC General Assembly to pass a statewide data center ban
Community members across North Carolina have launched a petition urging the state's General Assembly to enact a statewide ban on new data center construction, repeal tax incentives, and prevent utility rate increases tied to data center development. Residents cite concerns about higher utility bills, pollution, and extreme water usage during a drought. A press conference is scheduled in Fayetteville to address these issues.
Community members throughout North Carolina have initiated a petition campaign, calling on the North Carolina General Assembly to halt what they describe as the "reckless expansion" of data centers. The petition demands three key actions from state legislators: the repeal of existing state tax incentives for data centers, a prohibition on Duke Energy raising rates to subsidize data center expansion, and the implementation of a statewide ban on new data center construction.
Advocates argue that the nearly 100 data centers currently operating in North Carolina contribute to increased utility bills, environmental pollution, and excessive water consumption, especially concerning during a severe drought and broader cost-of-living crisis. Trestan Smith, a community organizer based in Fayetteville, highlighted that communities across the state are grappling with similar issues, including higher utility costs and environmental impacts, while corporations benefit from tax breaks.
Elijah Wittmeyer Balthazar, a lab technician from Fayetteville, connected the data center expansion to broader labor concerns, noting that automation and AI technologies, heavily invested in by corporations like Amazon, create job uncertainty and potential layoffs. Balthazar emphasized that the fight for workers' rights is intertwined with the opposition to data center development. To amplify their demands, community members affected by data center development are planning a press conference at Fayetteville City Hall on July 1.