County Commissioners pass a one-year data center moratorium for Watauga County

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction during their April 21 meeting. This decision follows similar action taken by the Boone Town Council, which also enacted a one-year pause on new data center developments. The moratorium was strongly supported by residents who filled the commissioner's boardroom, expressing concerns about the potential impact of data centers. Key issues raised included significant energy consumption, with estimates of a single data center using 20 to 100 megawatts, enough for up to 75,000 homes. Residents and Commissioner Ronnie Marsh highlighted warnings from local power companies that the regional grid cannot support the energy demands of new data centers. Other environmental and quality of life concerns included the high volume of water usage (one to five million gallons daily), consistent noise pollution, and air pollution from diesel generators. Commissioners also expressed skepticism about job creation and local tax revenue from such facilities. The one-year pause is intended to provide the county with time to collaborate with partners, including local utility companies and the NC Department of Environmental Quality, to develop comprehensive data center regulations.