Commissioners approve amended Quiet Data Centers agreement in 5-1 vote
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners approved an amended economic development agreement with Quiet Data Centers Halifax Inc. in a 5-1 vote, allowing a data center project to proceed on county-owned land in Enfield Township. The decision followed extensive debate over environmental protections, ratepayer concerns, and public input, with one commissioner dissenting due to lingering questions and a lack of specific commitments in the agreement.
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners voted 5-1 to approve an amended economic development agreement with Quiet Data Centers Halifax Inc. for a proposed data center project. The decision, made during a special called meeting, came after lengthy discussions concerning public input, environmental protections, ratepayer concerns, and a potential community benefits agreement.
Commissioner Gary R. Redding cast the lone dissenting vote, raising several concerns. He highlighted discrepancies in water usage estimates, lack of specific noise level commitments (like the previously discussed 45 dBA), and the absence of clear monitoring for electricity use, including an 88-megawatt ceiling. Redding also questioned changes in language regarding ratepayer protections and environmental assessment requirements compared to an earlier proposal, arguing that the county lost leverage. He also pointed out the agreement's omission of decommissioning or site restoration plans.
The project involves approximately 251 acres off Trestle Road in Enfield Township, which Quiet Data Centers plans to purchase for $1.7 million, with title vesting in Project Halifax LLC. The agreement mandates at least $250 million in taxable investment over 10 years and the creation of 50 full-time jobs with wages above the county's average. County Attorney M. Glynn Rollins Jr. and County Manager Dia H. Denton acknowledged the rapid pace of the revisions but argued the amended agreement offered more protections than the original 2025 agreement, which committed the county to the land sale. Despite the approval, commissioners directed staff to approach Quiet Data Centers about a separate, deliberate, and public-facing community benefits agreement, and to develop robust future land-use regulations for data centers in the county.