Local governments in North Carolina and Arizona are considering or adopting temporary pauses on new data center development, but the measures described so far leave projects already underway untouched.
In Guilford County, North Carolina, commissioners voted unanimously to schedule an October 15 public hearing on a proposed moratorium of up to 180 days. The county has no pending building permits or other requests for data centers in its unincorporated areas, Planning Director Leslie Bell told the board, according to the Rhino Times. The ordinance still needs to be drafted and could be adopted after the hearing.
Pima County, Arizona, adopted a 120-day pause on September 22 in a 3-2 vote. It applies to new development in unincorporated areas, not two projects already underway, Project Blue and Project Gravel. The Goldwater Institute has asked the county to rescind the measure, calling it illegal, according to the source.
Charlotte, North Carolina, voted 11-0 on June 8 to pause new data centers for 150 days. On September 28, the city council scheduled an October 12 hearing on extending the pause by 11 months, through October 11, 2027. Data centers are allowed by right in eight of the city's zoning districts, so those projects do not require council approval.
The measures come amid resident concerns about power bills and water access. Local officials also face a tradeoff: data centers may bring taxable value, but the source says they create few long-term jobs and generate demand for power and water.
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