N.C. (WECT) – A proposed 12-month ban on data centers and cryptocurrency operations is heading to a public hearing Tuesday night as Whiteville officials race to regulate the heavy environmental footprints of these operations
The Whiteville City Council is scheduled to vote on the temporary moratorium during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
If approved, the moratorium would immediately halt all development approvals for data centers, data processing facilities and cryptocurrency mining operations. The freeze is set to run from August 25, 2026, until August 25, 2027, or until the city adopts a zoning ordinance text amendment addressing these land uses, whichever comes first.
According to city agenda documents, these high-tech facilities demand massive amounts of electricity and water. Local officials raised concerns that unregulated growth could lead to high greenhouse gas emissions, widespread pollutant exposure from backup diesel generators, excessive electronic waste and severe noise pollution for nearby residents.
The agenda states Whiteville planning staff are developing new zoning standards and mitigation strategies to control these intensive land uses and require additional time to finalize them.
City documents show planners looked for alternative solutions to a moratorium but found none. Officials determined that allowing these facilities to be built without regulations governing location, height, size, density, and proximity to residential areas would directly counter the goals of the Whiteville Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
The proposed 12-month window is intended to give the planning department enough time to complete impact studies and prepare formal amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance.
Residents who wish to speak on the proposed moratorium can attend the public hearing at City Hall. More details on the meeting agenda are available in the here.
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