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Durham board debates 12-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers; chair opposes blanket pause
Summary
Commissioners discussed a proposed moratorium and text amendment that would restrict hyperscale or large data centers while preserving exceptions for institutional or small business centers. Vice Chair Sherylane proposed a 12-month moratorium focused on large/hyperscale facilities; Chair Lee said he would not support a blanket moratorium but would back narrowly tailored limits.
Durham County commissioners spent an extended portion of the work session debating whether to pursue a moratorium and a joint city-county ordinance to regulate large or hyperscale data centers. Vice Chair Sherylane said she circulated draft moratorium language and proposed a 12-month pause that would be narrowly tailored to "hyper scale and large scale" facilities and include explicit exceptions for institutional and mission-critical data centers.
Chair Lee said he supports targeting "large" data centers but opposed a blanket moratorium that would prevent ordinary business or institutional data centers. "I cannot support a blanket moratorium," he said, adding that he would support limits focused on very large uses and urged a common-sense approach. Planning staff advised the board that a text amendment and ordinance could be drafted within about a year, and recommended using square footage or acreage (rather than megawatts) as a regulable threshold because applicants do not always disclose power usage at application time. Commissioners asked staff to return with proposed language and options, including a 12-month moratorium narrowly focused on hyperscale facilities and clear exceptions for hospitals, universities and smaller business data centers.
