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Citizens group urges Beaufort County to consider moratorium on large data centers
Summary
Bath Beacon speaker Chip Pearsall told the Advisory Committee that large data centers could strain local energy and water systems and asked the county to support a moratorium while regulations and safeguards are developed.
Chip Pearsall of the Bath Beacon citizens group told the Beaufort County Economic Development Advisory Committee on May 28 that the county should consider a moratorium on large-scale data centers to give local government time to study and craft safeguards. "They should not be in the county until the government addresses regulation and safeguards," Pearsall said during a roughly 20-minute presentation introduced by Susan Squires.
Pearsall outlined several concerns that he said support a pause on new data-center construction: high electricity demand, substantial water use, and noise and fossil-fuel pollution from backup generators. He warned that, with growth in artificial intelligence and cloud services, data-center development is rising nationwide and that firms seek locations with inexpensive electricity and available land. Stuart O'Neal asked, "Why would Beaufort County be a target? Who would want to locate somewhere like Beaufort County?" Pearsall answered that cheap power and land availability can make rural counties attractive to developers.
County Manager Brian Alligood and Chairman Ed Booth indicated the committee should gather more information from municipalities and legal counsel before taking action. Alligood noted that, "if boundaries are established, and side effects are managed, it could be beneficial to the county," while also observing that Beaufort County has limited zoning authority in some areas and that the legal path for a moratorium requires care. The presentation referenced that several other North Carolina localities and states (Virginia and Maryland) have used moratoria or bans to buy time to evaluate impacts. Pearsall closed by saying Bath Beacon seeks a county-level response and encouraged members to join the group's Facebook page to follow developments.
Next steps: the committee agreed to seek additional research and feedback from municipalities and county staff before considering formal policy steps.
