Senate Bill 730 would require developers to examine potential noise pollution and restrict water usage.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina lawmakers are moving quickly on legislation that would create new requirements for data centers, as cities across the state — including Charlotte — consider their own regulations.
On Monday, June 8, the Charlotte City Council is set to vote on a 150-day moratorium on new data centers. The proposal would temporarily pause new projects, giving city officials time to develop regulations.
Charlotte City Councilman JD Mazuera Arias said he plans to support the moratorium.
“Data centers have no home in residential neighborhoods,” Arias said. “It’s not fair for us to be in a stage two drought with water restrictions and implementing those water restrictions on our residents, while we’re allowing data centers to use as much water as they please.”
The push comes as data centers continue to expand across North Carolina. Some proposed projects, including one in Arias’ district, would be located next to existing neighborhoods.
“It’s not a ban on data centers. I want to be very clear on that,” Arias said. “This will allow us to take a moment to pause and reflect, and see how do we further restrain data centers from being built in residential neighborhoods without flagging it or making it preemptive under state law.”
Meanwhile, the General Assembly is considering its own changes.
The North Carolina House on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 730, which would require data center cooling systems to minimize water usage and includes provisions to protect residents from paying increased energy costs. Developers would also be required to examine potential noise impacts on nearby homes and schools.
Separately, the bill would require the state to fast-track new nuclear power plants proposed by Duke Energy. That provision has raised concerns among some Democrats, including state Rep. Jordan Lopez of East Charlotte.
“We’re calling it the Ratepayer Protection Act. I wish that that was the case,” Lopez said. “I wish we could have just come together to finally pass a bill with bipartisan support that takes a great step at solving an issue that many across our state are facing and dealing with, and maybe that second part could be handled separately, and we could take some more time to get that right to ensure we are actually protecting ratepayers.”
Lopez and Arias agree that Duke Energy should be addressed separately. Republicans rejected those concerns, arguing that helping Duke Energy generate more power is critical.
The bill now returns to the Senate. If senators reject the House version, the measure will return to committee.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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