Protesters continue pushing for moratorium on data centers

CHARLOTTE, NC — No more data centers, at least for now, was the message in a protest Thursday morning in east Charlotte.

This comes as Charlotte City Council weighs a moratorium on allowing data centers until they can get more information on the impact it’s having.

“We’ve been pushing back because this is clearly environmental classism as well as hostile architecture, and even arguably redlining,” said east Charlotte resident, Gustavo Toro.

Protestors gathered near the sight of the newest proposed data center by PowerHouse Charlotte. A 122-acre site for up to five 2-story data center buildings.

Environmental scientist, Kibri Everett, says once it’s built, it will be the third data center within a four mile radius.

“Without these assessments, decision makers and residents may never fully understand the existing environmental conditions, the overlapping infrastructure burdens, and the potential cumulative impacts facing communities,” explained Everett.

Several Charlotte City Council members have expressed their concerns with the impacts of the data centers which are physical buildings that house computer systems, servers, and storage. Often using large amounts of electricity and sometimes water.

“It is exactly why we need this 150 day moratorium. Not because we’re anti-development, not because we’re anti-business, and certainly not because we’re anti-technology, but because we owe it to our residents to pause and ask whether our policies are keeping up with reality,” said councilman, JD Mazuera Arias.

East Charlotte resident, Antoinette Mingo,  says people living near the proposed data centers need to be included in decisions made by city council because they are the ones directly impacted.

“We need to stop the building of this and at a bare minimum, we need to be included in the moratorium so that whatever regulations are developed for all other data centers, we are included in,” said Mingo.

Charlotte City Council is expected to vote on the moratorium next week.