City Council Schedules Public Hearing on Proposed Data Center Moratorium

The Greensboro City Council will hold a public hearing to receive comments on and consider a proposed 120-day moratorium on data centers exceeding 10 megawatts of electrical power on Monday, August 17, at 4 pm in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber at the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St.

Council voted 9-0 on Monday, August 3, to begin the formal process required before the proposed moratorium may be adopted.

"Our Council has received questions from our community about data centers that deserve to be answered," Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter said. "A 120-day moratorium allows us to gather facts, hear from the public, and make informed decisions. As a Council, we owe it to our residents to ensure growth is thoughtful, strategic, and in Greensboro's long-term best interest."

The moratorium would temporarily pause the acceptance, processing, and approval of development applications for data centers, data storage and processing facilities, and similar uses with an electrical power demand exceeding 10 megawatts.

If adopted, the moratorium would give the City additional time to study the potential infrastructure, utility, electrical grid, environmental, and land-use impacts of data centers. Council will also hear from subject matter experts representing a range of perspectives and review best practices from other communities through a series of work sessions.

The information gathered will help inform potential amendments to the City's Land Development Ordinance.