Board discusses data centers’ tradeoffs; leaders urge caution over utilities and community fit

Commissioner Harold Collins introduced a planning question Jan. 12: should Union County actively recruit data centers? He told the Development Authority he is skeptical and said he wants to grow tourism "a manageable amount" and to attract businesses that employ roughly 50 people rather than very large employers that the county cannot support with housing.

Collins warned that data centers can be resource‑intensive. "They can be a drain on land, water and electricity and I personally do not want one here," he said. Erik Brinke elaborated that data centers vary widely in scale and resource needs, and gave a local example: a facility in Cherokee County, N.C., occupies about a 290,000‑square‑foot building on 30 acres and supports roughly 100 permanent employees. Brinke noted that Blue Ridge Mountain EMC has planned capacity but could face challenges during outlier events.

Board member David Dyer warned of community impacts: "Data centers could ruin our community and the only advantage would be revenue," he said, adding that tourism and the county’s existing character should be preserved. Gavin King agreed, noting developers sometimes test local regulatory environments; he said Union County’s lack of zoning can attract projects seeking fewer building or fire‑safety restrictions.

The discussion left the board without a directive to pursue large data centers; members suggested reviewing the county's crypto‑mining ordinance and weighing infrastructure capacity and housing first. Several members supported targeted, modest job growth that complements local tourism and existing employers rather than large‑scale industrial data sites.