Data center firm drops North Carolina site after backlash, cites 'friendlier communities'
Energy Storage Solutions has abandoned its proposed data center project near Kingsboro, North Carolina, following significant local opposition. Residents raised concerns about water and electricity usage, prompting the company to seek "friendlier communities." Separately, the company is withdrawing a lawsuit after the Tarboro Town Council denied a permit application for another project.
Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) has withdrawn its plans for a data center near Kingsboro, North Carolina, after facing considerable backlash from local residents. County Manager Eric Evans announced at a recent board meeting that ESS was no longer pursuing the project in Kingsboro Business Park, and the deposit on the land was returned.
Dan Shaffer, President of Energy Storage Solutions, cited delays and opposition, along with similar complications in Tarboro, as reasons for investors redirecting focus to "friendlier communities." For the Tarboro project, the Town Council rejected ESS's permit application in September with a 6-1 vote, leading to a lawsuit that ESS now expects to withdraw after reaching a settlement.
Community members in Edgecombe County, including Vinson Bridgers, expressed concerns during public comments about the data center's potential strain on water supplies, increased air pollution, and higher electricity rates, referencing power issues in Northern Virginia's data center hubs. Commissioner Dewitt Woodley supported a temporary pause, while Board Chair Leonard Wiggins indicated he was influenced by community information.
In response to the growing resistance, the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners voted in June to hold a public hearing on a proposed two-year data center moratorium. This move reflects a broader trend of communities questioning the economic benefits of data centers versus their environmental and infrastructural impacts.