Yadkinville Set to Welcome Two New Data Centers Amid County Moratorium
In an unexpected twist, Yadkinville is gearing up for the addition of two data center facilities, despite a recent county-wide halt on such developments. This comes as AI infrastructure company WhiteFiber reveals plans to transform warehouse sites within the town’s boundaries into operational data centers.
The Yadkin County commissioners had enacted a two-year moratorium on the establishment of new data centers last Monday. However, WhiteFiber’s announcement on the same day highlights a strategic move that circumvents this pause, as the moratorium does not apply to areas within town limits.
According to County Manager Michael Silverman, “The moratorium only addresses the unincorporated areas of the county, which fall underneath our zoning areas.”
WhiteFiber’s subsidiary, Enovum Data Centers, is spearheading the Yadkinville project. Jon Collins from Enovum shares that the decision to target existing warehouses for conversion is deliberate. He explains the benefits, saying, “Number one, so an abandoned facility does not become a drag on the county or the community. Number two, so we don’t have to greenfield anything. So we’re not taking Bobby Baker’s tobacco field and making a data center out of it.”
These new data centers will draw inspiration from WhiteFiber’s Madison facility, situated 55 miles from Yadkinville. To engage with the community, the company is hosting a town hall on September 19 at the Madison site. Interested Rockingham County residents must register online to attend.
