On Feb. 11, Canton’s makeshift town hall — a temporary trailer in place since Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 — was bursting at the seams with citizens ready to speak out against data centers and cryptocurrency mining.
Two hours and 44 speakers later, the town board unanimously voted to impose a year-long moratorium on the development of data centers, crypto mining facilities and server farms. The vote would likely have gone that way even if no one had showed up to speak, however.
“This board feels that data centers and the threat that they could cause to our town is something that is dangerous, unpredictable and disruptive,” said Mayor Zeb Smathers at the start of the meeting…