Environmental advisory commission urges council to plan for possible data center impacts

Dr. Marion Winkler, chair of the City of Greenville Environmental Advisory Commission, told the City Council on June 8 that the EAC's top priority for 2026 is preparing for data center development and the potential environmental and community impacts those facilities can bring. Winkler said large data centers can occupy acres of land, use tens or hundreds of megawatts of electricity, increase community water demand and generate constant noise from fans and diesel backup generators.

"Our number one concern is data centers and their environmental impacts," Winkler said, outlining potential effects on water supply, air and noise pollution and grid and infrastructure demands. She urged the council to require a higher level of review for large facilities — for example, special‑use permits — to allow community engagement and detailed technical review before development proceeds. Winkler cited examples of other North Carolina jurisdictions that have taken moratoria or timeouts to study the issue.

Winkler also described other EAC priorities including tree protection, EV charging, microplastics reduction and neighborhood green space policies. Council members asked the commission to follow up on related topics (for example, solar farm impacts) and indicated interest in receiving technical materials to guide ordinance updates. The commission did not request immediate regulatory action at the meeting beyond follow‑up technical work and recommended ordinance review and community engagement in advance of any development proposals.