North Carolina
Active Bans / MoratoriumsNorth Carolina has no statewide moratorium bill, but local restriction has become the norm rather than the exception — more than 30 North Carolina jurisdictions have enacted temporary data center moratoriums or zoning freezes during 2026, and August brought the largest ones yet. Greensboro's City Council voted 8-0 (one recusal) on August 18, 2026 to adopt a 180-day moratorium on data centers drawing more than 10 MW, running through February 14, 2027; the council extended the pause by two months from the 120 days originally proposed after residents asked for far longer. Alamance County commissioners voted 5-0 on August 17 for a one-year moratorium on developments requiring 10 MW or more, after more than 23 residents spoke in favor at a hearing on what began as a six-month proposal; the ordinance includes interim research deadlines and requires commissioners to meet at least 30 days before it expires in August 2027. Waxhaw's board unanimously adopted a 12-month moratorium on August 10 as a proactive measure with no application pending, and Yadkin County took up a pause of its own. Statewide grid pressure in the Charlotte and Triangle regions continues to drive the debate. Not every effort succeeds — Stokes County commissioners rejected a six-month moratorium on July 13, 2026 and Engineered Land Solutions resubmitted its 'Project Delta' rezoning with design changes — but developers are also retreating: a 100,000-square-foot Raleigh facility was withdrawn in mid-August after community opposition and council skepticism. Statesville published its rationale for a proposed pause on July 24, and Fayetteville held a zoning hearing on August 10. Durham County joined the wave on August 25, with commissioners voting 4-1 for a nine-month moratorium through May 2027 on facilities over 100,000 square feet (exempting smaller closed-loop projects without diesel generators) — aligning with the city of Durham — while Davidson County commissioners rejected a six-month pause the same week, choosing to gather information instead. Charlotte's 150-day moratorium (enacted June 8, 2026) expires November 5; in September 2026 city staff recommended extending it after a study and a survey showing 78% community opposition. Statesville's City Council converted its proposal into a unanimous 180-day moratorium on September 15, 2026 (exempting the existing Compass project), Raleigh drafted a six-month moratorium with a public hearing set for October 6, and Beaufort County postponed its moratorium vote to October 5.
Local Actions
12-month moratorium on data centers, data processing, and crypto mining.
1-year moratorium on all data center development. Unanimous vote.
12-month moratorium on all data center approvals.
90-day moratorium on data centers and crypto mining
6-month moratorium, voted 5-2. Prompted by second data center proposal
Town Council voted unanimously for a one-year moratorium effective April 28, 2026 through April 2027. Public hearing held April 14.
Commissioners unanimously passed 12-month moratorium on April 21, 2026. Public hearing on March 31 drew ~140 attendees. County will form ad hoc committees and begin rulemaking during the moratorium period.
Commission unanimously approved one-year moratorium on new data centers. Public hearing held April 20.
Board of Commissioners unanimously passed (6-0) a one-year moratorium on data center development.
Commissioners rejected a proposed six-month moratorium as the "Project Delta" data center proposal advanced.
City Council unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications on September 15, 2026 (running through March 2027); it does not affect the existing Compass Data Centers project near I-40.
City Council voted 8-0 (one recusal) for a 180-day moratorium on data centers exceeding 10 MW, pausing acceptance, processing and approval of development applications through February 14, 2027. Extended from the 120 days originally proposed after public feedback.
Commissioners voted 5-0 for a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers (10 MW or more) after a lengthy public hearing. Includes built-in research deadlines and requires commissioners to meet at least 30 days before the August 2027 expiration.
Board unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data centers and related infrastructure as a proactive measure, with no current proposal pending.
Commissioners voted 4-1 for a nine-month moratorium on data centers exceeding 100,000 square feet, running through May 2027 in alignment with the city of Durham. Exempts smaller facilities that use closed-loop cooling and no diesel backup generators. The dissenting commissioner argued the measure did not go far enough.
Commissioners voted against a six-month moratorium on new data center applications, opting to gather information on future projects rather than pause development.
City Council voted 11-0 on June 8, 2026 for a 150-day moratorium on new data centers (through November 5, 2026) while staff draft regulations. On September 9, 2026 a council committee reviewed the staff study — a community survey found 78% opposition — and staff recommended extending the moratorium.
The city drafted a 6-month moratorium to study land, water and electricity demands of data centers; public hearing set for October 6, 2026.
A vote on a proposed one-year data center moratorium was postponed from September 14 to October 5, 2026 to allow more public input.