Charlotte City Council Extends Data Center Moratorium to 2027 – K104.7

Charlotte City Council Extends Data Center Moratorium to 2027  K104.7

Charlotte City Council voted Monday, Oct. 26, to extend the city's data center moratorium for nearly one year.WBTV reported that the moratorium now runs until Oct. 18, 2027.In June, the city council approved a 150-day data center moratorium amid rising national discussion about data centers' impact on the environment, resources, and community, among other concerns.The 150-day data center moratorium for Charlotte was originally set to expire on Nov. 5. However, after a unanimous vote at a council meeting on Monday, the end date has been extended.According to WBTV, the moratorium will give city leaders time to study existing ordinances, evaluate new ones, and identify best practices for data center development.Under the initial moratorium, which took effect on June 8, previously approved data center projects would not be affected.Residents near proposed data centers have raised concerns about noise, pollution, energy use, and water consumption tied to large computing facilities.Action NC and several local climate groups said earlier this year that data centers have strained infrastructure and affected residents' quality of life in U.S.

communities.District Four councilmember Renee Johnson has already sounded the alarm to council members about the impacts of data centers. According to WCCB, she pointed to 5.5 million square feet of “hyperscale” data developments that are under construction near residential areas.She added that because these projects were already approved,