Guilford County officials, community discuss data center moratorium
Guilford County commissioners are considering a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications in unincorporated areas. Residents raised concerns about water use, noise, pollution and energy-grid impacts, while some speakers said data centers could bring economic benefits; commissioners delayed a decision until Nov. 5 and plan to hold town halls.
Guilford County commissioners considered a proposed 180-day pause on new data center applications in unincorporated parts of the county. The discussion followed Greensboro's separate pause on data center applications and came after county officials spent about 10 months researching the potential impacts of the facilities.
Most speakers at the hearing opposed moving ahead with data center development without stronger safeguards, citing concerns about water consumption, noise, pollution, waste and pressure on the energy grid. Some residents argued that 180 days would not provide enough time to develop effective policies, while another speaker supported data centers as a potential source of economic growth. Commissioners postponed a decision until their Nov. 5 meeting and said they intend to hold town halls and gather more public input.