Environmental activist makes pitch for 32-month data center moratorium
An environmental activist coalition is advocating for a 32-month moratorium on new data centers in Greensboro, NC, before the Community Sustainability Council. They are also asking for increased transparency on water use, strong discharge regulations, and community involvement in oversight.
Environmental activist Aidan Loretz, representing a coalition of local groups, urged the Community Sustainability Council on Monday, August 10, 2026, to recommend that the Greensboro City Council implement a 32-month moratorium on new data center development. Loretz stated that a minimum of 24 months is needed, emphasizing that a four-month period is insufficient for proper review without unduly burdening the City Council, Planning Board, and local communities.
The coalition's proposal includes several key conditions for any future data center applicants. They demand clear transparency regarding water use, requiring applicants to disclose projected and actual water withdrawals, report them regularly, and make these reports public. Strong discharge regulations, especially concerning PFAS, were also highlighted as a critical need for Greensboro.
Furthermore, Loretz stressed the importance of a community-led steering committee, the involvement of the Community Sustainability Council (CSC) and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience (OSR), and a commitment to multiple public hearings to ensure community engagement and oversight. Loretz asserted that these requests are not radical but rather "ordinary conditions that any well-run facility can meet."