City To Consider Data Center Moratorium Tonight

Whiteville City Council in Columbus County, North Carolina, is scheduled to vote tonight on a one-year moratorium for data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency operations. City officials are seeking more time to develop comprehensive zoning standards and mitigation strategies to address the significant environmental and infrastructure impacts associated with these facilities, including high electricity and water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, and e-waste.

The city's agenda highlights that permitting such intensive land uses without proper regulation would contradict Whiteville's Comprehensive Land Use Plan. This move mirrors actions taken by other North Carolina municipalities like Canton, which recently approved a similar moratorium, Durham County, which banned larger data centers until 2027, and the City of Charlotte, which issued a freeze on new centers pending environmental impact studies. Edgecombe County also saw a $19 billion AI data center project canceled following local criticism and discussions of a moratorium.

At the state level, the North Carolina General Assembly is advancing the Ratepayer Protection Act (Senate Bill 730), which aims to shift the cost of electrical infrastructure upgrades to data centers rather than residential customers. Additionally, lawmakers are considering repealing sales tax exemptions for data centers, a policy previously supported by former Governor Roy Cooper and current Governor Josh Stein as an economic incentive. Nationwide, 14 states are reportedly considering outright bans on data centers.