Surry County commissioners enacted a 60-day moratorium on development approvals for data centers this week.
Officials are concerned that current regulations don’t address these types of high-impact facilities.
The county joins several other North Carolina municipalities that have enacted data center moratoriums in response to a surge in proposals across the state. Surry officials say there aren’t currently any applications in the area, but they want to be prepared.
The ordinance notes the high energy consumption, water usage and noise pollution associated with data centers. But County Attorney Howard Jones says it’s not intended to take a stance against them.
“It doesn't mean that you're saying you're not going to allow data centers. It doesn't say that you believe data centers should never be allowed," he said. "What it means is that you're going to take a pause, so that we can put some work into this.”
Staff will begin drafting amendments to local development ordinances. Commissioners will review them at a meeting on June 15.
From there, the board can either schedule a public hearing on the proposed changes or extend the moratorium.