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Swain County Halts New Data Centers Amid Community Concerns
Swain County has made a decisive move by implementing a 12-month halt on the construction of new data centers. This decision, passed unanimously by the county commissioners on Tuesday, follows a public meeting on March 31 that attracted significant local interest and participation. In Bryson City, North Carolina, 140 residents gathered to express their views, with 34 individuals raising their voices on the matter.
The rise of data centers has become a hot topic in Western North Carolina, sparking debates about their impact on local resources. Concerns frequently cited by residents include high water and energy consumption, noise pollution, and the alteration of the visual landscape. Data centers, crucial for storing digital data and supporting artificial intelligence, demand substantial power and cooling systems. Remarkably, some centers consume energy on par with annual output from a power plant, and are known for their significant water use, such as the Energy Storage Solutions facility in Edgecombe County, which uses around 500,000 gallons of water daily.
The moratorium received broad support during the commissioners’ meeting. A public commentator suggested a more permanent ban, while Taylor from Whittier, a fly-fishing guide, voiced worries about the potential impact on local fishing. She emphasized, “A lot of our income comes from people coming to the area to fish with us. It will completely ruin the fishing around here.”
With the temporary ban in place, Swain County’s commissioners are set to conduct thorough research over the coming months to consider the possibility of a more permanent ordinance on data center development. They aim to conclude their findings in less than a year, although Commissioner Tanner Lawson stressed the importance of a meticulous approach, stating, “I want to make sure whatever we put in place is as perfect as we can get it.”
To facilitate the process, two ad hoc committees comprised of local residents will be formed, with applications opening this week. Swain County joins an expanding list of regions in Western North Carolina, like Clyde, Watauga County, and Boone, that have enacted similar temporary or permanent restrictions on new data center projects.
