Charlotte City Council votes unanimously to extend data center moratorium

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte City Council voted unanimously on Monday to extend its moratorium on new data centers until October 18, 2027. The decision pauses new facility approvals to give city planners time to study the environmental impacts, high power consumption, and immense water demands these facilities require.

Following that vote, District Four councilmember Renee Johnson issued a stark warning to council members, noting that 5.5 million square feet of “hyperscale” data developments are already actively under construction near residential backyards.

Johnson stressed that because these projects were previously approved, they will completely bypass the city’s upcoming safety and zoning restrictions unless aggressive legal options are pursued. She says, “So I need to sound the alarm. We have two hyperscale developments. It’s actually 5.5 million square footage of data centers that are under, currently under construction that will not be subject to these provisions.”

The city’s specialized task force will continue reviewing distance and noise impacts over the next 11 months, to determine how existing facilities can be forced to comply with local noise ordinances.