As Data Centers Pop Up Across NC, Communities Fight Back
By: Ty McFarland, Director of Communications for NCLCVF, City of Raleigh, NC & 2024 Fellow
You might have heard, Data Centers are booming in North Carolina, and communities are not happy about it. And rightfully so, there is a lot we don’t know about Data Centers. However, we do know folks on all sides of the political spectrum are opposed to data centers, and that communities are winning across our state.
Data Centers Could Cost You More Money
Because of a law passed last year, hardworking families and communities will have to pay more for electricity and for fuel costs. This law shifts costs away from large commercial and industrial customers – including data centers – and onto households.
On top of that, Duke Energy continues to invest in dirtier, more expensive energy, rather than investing in the cheapest forms of energy like wind and solar. This is economic injustice: the rich get richer while everyday, hardworking North Carolinians pay the cost.
More Strain on Local Resources
At a time when cities/towns are already facing rising costs of water and electricity, this just adds one more strain on local resources, and a huge one at that. According to researchers, a typical data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households, and as much water annually as a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
An Airport Outside Your Home
One of the biggest concerns surrounding data centers is the noise. Research in Virginia corroborates anecdotal reports of significant noise pollution for nearby populations. The industrial ‘drone’ in a recent study was measured between 40 and 59 dBA while other sources report levels up to 95 dBA. In some cases, this may be comparable to living next to an airport according to noise pollution data. The US Environmental Protection Agency recommends limiting average noise exposure to 55 dDA outdoors and 45 dBA indoors.
Humans aren’t the only ones who are disrupted, though – many species rely on sound to hunt, avoid predation, regulate sleep, and reproduce. Little is known how this may affect the wildlife and livestock populations surrounding data centers.
Facade of Economic Growth
You may find yourself asking: what would be the economic benefit of these data centers? Could that outweigh the costs? The answer to that question is different to each data center, and that is why the community should make the decision, not the developers.
However, writ large, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of benefits for the communities themselves. It is just as likely the data centers bring in their own specialized construction companies rather than local ones. Analysts suggest that data centers often produce few jobs relative to their building and operating costs.
What Can We Do About It?
It’s normal to be disturbed or angry about this; I’m angry too, but there is hope. When communities band together and oppose these efforts, we see communities win. Across our state 17 counties and/or cities have placed moratoriums on data centers. While not permanent, these moratoriums allow for further research and analysis to come forward.
If you are looking to get more involved, check out our regional programs like PowerUp NC or Power the Vote NC. If you want to stay up to date on our state’s latest environmental news, register for NCLCV’s weekly newsletter.
And if this work is important to you, I invite you to donate. Your generosity helps us inspire more folks to take action across the state.
