Opposition to new data centers is gaining traction in North Carolina, with more local governments looking at temporary pauses on future projects.
That local resistance points to a larger question: How much strain communities are willing to put on neighborhoods, water supplies, and power systems in the name of digital growth.
Here’s what to know
Greensboro, Yadkin County, and Alamance County are all examining temporary limits on new data center development, as NC Newsline reported. An Elon University poll of 800 North Carolinians found that most respondents oppose having data centers in their own communities.
In Greensboro, officials are reconsidering a pause after previously deciding against a formal moratorium. The city council is now considering a 120-day hold on large data centers or related facilities that use more than 10 megawatts of power, saying they need more time for public input and to study potential impacts on water, the electrical grid, and the environment…