UPDATE: Beaufort County commissioners voted for 1-year pause on data center development
Beaufort County commissioners voted 6-1 to impose a one-year moratorium on data center development, blocking applications for new facilities and expansions. Residents cited electricity use, noise and community impacts, while commissioners discussed potential tax benefits and future development rules.
Beaufort County commissioners in North Carolina voted 6-1 to enact a one-year moratorium on data center development. The pause prevents the county from accepting, processing or approving applications for data center establishment, construction, expansion or operation.
The decision followed public concerns about electricity consumption, noise and other community effects, although no specific data center project is currently proposed in the county. Commissioner Hood Richardson opposed the moratorium, citing potential tax benefits, while Commissioner Stan Deatherage said the county should use the pause to develop rules addressing electricity and noise without discouraging future economic development.