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Planning commission directs staff to gather ordinances and case studies on data centers and battery storage
Summary
Noting rising inquiries about data centers and battery-storage projects, the commission unanimously directed staff to collect ordinances, moratorium examples, and case studies from other localities to inform potential county rules or a moratorium; commissioners discussed scale, siting, and AI-assisted site analysis.
Southampton County's Planning Commission voted unanimously to direct staff to gather model ordinances, case studies and examples from other jurisdictions regarding data centers and battery storage projects so the commission can determine whether a local ordinance or temporary moratorium is warranted.
Commissioners said they have received recent phone inquiries about battery storage and data centers and referenced a prior site visit to Mecklenburg County for background. Several commissioners said rural localities are now being targeted for large projects that require substantial acreage. One commissioner suggested the county may need a moratorium to buy time to draft standards if proposals arrive quickly; another urged getting a county attorney's opinion before taking moratorium action.
Staff agreed to compile ordinances used by counties and cities that have either permitted, regulated, or later restricted such projects, and to identify jurisdictions that initially welcomed projects and later changed course. Commissioners also discussed technical supports for siting analysis, including an existing contract with an engineering firm to assess potential sites for economic development.
The motion to collect this information, with an added rider to examine reversals by receptive localities, passed unanimously on voice vote and was recorded on roll call.
