Yadkinville leaders address data center concerns
Yadkin County has enacted a two-year moratorium on data centers in its unincorporated areas, but this does not affect the town of Yadkinville where a new 60 MW data center by White Fiber/Enovum is planned. The facility will be located on 120 acres and 500,000 square feet of former Unifi warehouse space, which is already zoned for light industrial use. Town leaders are addressing community concerns regarding water and power usage, noting the site's existing infrastructure and the company's efforts to mitigate environmental impact.
Yadkin County has implemented a two-year moratorium on new data center developments in its unincorporated areas to allow leaders to develop zoning and land use plans. However, this pause does not extend to municipalities within the county, including the town of Yadkinville, which is set to host a new data center.
Local manufacturer Unifi announced its intent to sell 120 acres and 500,000 square feet of existing warehouse space in Yadkinville to White Fiber, a company associated with Montreal-based Enovum. The $60 million sale, expected to close later this year, will enable Unifi to reduce debt while maintaining its Yadkinville operations. White Fiber plans to retrofit the property into a 60 MW data center, with potential expansion to 200 MW. The site's appeal includes its existing Light Industrial zoning, which permits data centers, and the presence of substations to supply power.
Town Manager Mike Koser and Mayor Eddie Norman expressed support, highlighting the project's economic benefits and potential for significant annual tax revenue. They addressed community concerns regarding water and power usage, noting that the site's current infrastructure is well-equipped. White Fiber has indicated that the data center will primarily use domestic water, with cooling water trucked in and recycled. For its similar Madison location in Rockingham County, White Fiber reported significantly lower water usage compared to Unifi's previous operations. The company also states its cooling system is closed-loop and that noise levels are low. Efforts are underway to reuse excess heat from data centers in other applications.
White Fiber plans to host a town hall forum at its Madison location on September 19th to address community questions, though a similar event for Yadkinville has not yet been finalized pending the sale's completion.