Public hearing slated for data center moratorium

Northampton County Commissioners have slated a public hearing for May 4 to discuss a proposed moratorium on data center construction. This decision comes after local citizens expressed opposition to data centers at a special meeting on April 1, despite no specific data center project having been announced for the county. Northampton Planning and Zoning Director Jason McAllister explained that the Planning Board formally requested the moratorium process to create suitable ordinances and update the county's comprehensive plan. County Attorney Scott McKellar advised that a public hearing is required if the moratorium is to last longer than 61 days. Commissioners, including Board Chair Ed Martin, clarified that the moratorium's purpose is to establish regulations before any data center proposals emerge, emphasizing that an outright ban is illegal. Commissioner Keedra Whitaker publicly stated her opposition to data centers due to citizen concerns. The moratorium, if enacted, would provide time for the county to study potential impacts such as energy, water, noise, and land use, similar to a prior moratorium on solar facilities. Northampton County would be the second in the Roanoke-Chowan area to enact such a measure; Gates County Commissioners enacted a one-year data center moratorium in December 2025 to study impacts and revise ordinances, collaborating with local utility providers and the UNC School of Government.