data centers

Charlotte City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a 150-day moratorium on new data centers.

Charlotte City Council is expected to vote tonight on a proposed 150-day moratorium on new data center applications. Some council members say the pause is needed to study the quickly growing industry and consider new regulations.

A public hearing on proposed Stokes County zoning changes related to data centers has been postponed. County officials say they need more time for public review before the hearing is held.

Amazon announced a multibillion-dollar agreement with Corning Inc. on June 8 that is expected to create 1,000 new jobs at Corning’s manufacturing facilities across North Carolina, along with additional construction jobs tied to facility expansions.

Charlotte is now accepting applications for mayor. Meanwhile, Mecklenburg County leaders testified before the House Oversight Committee in Raleigh about the death of Dominique Moody, a child who suffered years of abuse. The Carolina Hurricanes are in the running for the Stanley Cup Final.

Officials are concerned that the county's current development ordinances don’t address these types of high-impact facilities.

The legislation, which is working through the N.C. House, would require large data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems and have contracts for their electricity purchases that prevent costs from being passed on to ratepayers.

There was a raucous public hearing before Charlotte City Council this week over data centers and a possible 150-day pause on their development. The Charlotte Ledger business newsletter’s Ashley Fahey was there, and she joins Marshall Terry for our segment BizWorthy.

New legislation would require closed loop cooling systems for data centers, ban local incentives and examine the financial impact of NC's 2050 carbon dioxide net neutrality law.

The deal would leave in place a number of other tax exemptions for data centers, including for their construction materials and hardware.