Tech companies are rushing to build new data centers in North Carolina, but some elected officials and residents are raising concerns about how these centers impact neighborhoods, infrastructure and energy use.
Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Stein questioned tax breaks for data centers. Now, Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera is calling for a temporary pause on new projects near residential areas.
Ajmera made that case in a recent op-ed in The Charlotte Observer. She spoke with WFAE’s Nick de la Canal.
Nick de la Canal: You’re calling for a temporary pause on new data centers near Charlotte neighborhoods. What would that look like, and how long do you imagine that pause lasting?
Dimple Ajmera: Nick, that’s a great question, because it all depends on how quickly we have regulations in place. Our planning team has told us that it's going to take three to six months to develop regulations. So until then, we need a pause to ensure that we protect our communities, our residents and our natural resources.
De la Canal: And you write that these data centers are moving closer to where people live. What are you hearing from residents and what concerns are coming up most often?
Ajmera: Residents are concerned about the noise, water usage, energy impact and impact on the quality of life. I mean, these are large-scale industrial facilities. In fact, there is one that is being proposed very close to where I live. So these are the facilities that can use as much electricity as tens of thousands of homes and they require massive amounts of water. These are some really valid concerns that we need to take into account to ensure that we have protections in place for our community and our residents.
De la Canal: I think there's an argument that data centers can bring jobs and investment to areas — plus, we all use technology for everything and these data centers power those services. So how do you balance that with the concerns that you’re raising?
Ajmera: So I can tell you data centers do bring jobs, but we’re not talking about hundreds of jobs — we're talking about three to five jobs.
One can argue that it's taking away critical real estate could from other economic development opportunities that could bring a lot more jobs and could not be detrimental to our natural resources.
Especially at a time when we’re asking our residents to conserve water, while at the same time, we're seeing these facilities that can use millions of gallons of water a day.
De la Canal: Right, and you're referencing the drought that's spreading across the state right now.
Ajmera: That's correct.
De la Canal: What kinds of conversations are you having with your colleagues on council about this? Does it feel like there is enough momentum to put a moratorium in place? And if the city doesn't move forward with a pause, what would the alternative be for you?
Ajmera: So that's a great question, Nick. In terms of what my colleagues are thinking, I certainly cannot speak for them, but I have heard similar concerns.
Keep in mind, this is not an issue that is unique to Charlotte. Other municipalities and cities across the nation, across the state, are dealing with the same issues.
In fact, Apex Town Council put a moratorium until they develop regulations. So we are looking at other cities in this state to see what is allowed under state law to ensure that we can keep our communities safe.
