Holly Springs, NC, August 23, 2026 — Holly Springs can adopt rules governing where and how data centers operate, but it cannot simply prohibit them from locating in town, Town Manager Randy Harrington told the Town Council during last Tuesday’s town council meeting.
The clarification comes two months into a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications. Council unanimously approved the pause on June 16th, stopping the acceptance, processing and approval of applications while the town studies whether its existing development rules are adequate for today’s data centers.
The moratorium applies to data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations, data processing facilities and related uses within town limits and Holly Springs’ extraterritorial jurisdiction. It took effect June 17th and runs through June 16, 2027, though the town could lift it earlier if it adopts new regulations…