The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve an ordinance establishing a one-year, temporary pause on building any data centers in the county.
The board voted 6-0 to approve the moratorium.
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“The board took this action to ensure we have the time and information needed to thoughtfully evaluate the impacts of large-scale data centers on our community,” Board Chair Jean Hamilton said in a news release. “This moratorium allows us to protect our natural resources, consider infrastructure demands, and engage residents as we determine the most appropriate path forward for Orange County.”
Orange County’s moratorium applies to a range of uses, including artificial intelligence data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, data processing facilities and similar large-scale operations.
The one-year pause will enable the county to:
- Develop clear definitions and regulations for large-scale data centers and related uses
- Evaluate land use compatibility with existing communities
- Assess environmental impacts, including water supply and watershed protection
- Advance updates to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)
The board also directed county staff to prepare amendments to the UDO to define and regulate large-scale data centers, including artificial intelligence data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities and similar uses.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners’ decision comes after nearby municipalities have also made decisions on the proposed development of data centers.
On Monday, the Vance County Board of Commissioners voted on Monday to approve the rezoning of land that could be used to develop a data center despite vocal opposition from people in attendance.
Last week, Apex leaders voted in favor of putting a temporary, one-year suspension on a proposed data center development.
In April, the town of Wendell held a public hearing on a moratorium for future data center construction. Leaders said while there weren't any plans to build a center, they wanted to get ahead of what's expected to be rapidly growing facilities in the state.
In March, the Wake County Board of Commissioners talked about leading entities in plans and resources for data center developments.