North Carolina local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for North Carolina, current through August 19, 2026.

40 instruments — 32 in force, 2 pending, 6 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 3 actions (3 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Buncombe County (cryptocurrency mining; data-center-adjacent)

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2023-05-02 effective; extended 2024-05-07 by Ordinance 24-05-09
• Normalized date: 2023-05-02 (exact)
• Duration: Original 1 year; extended to 2025-04-30 or earlier adoption of text amendment
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-buncombe-county-2023
• Legal basis: Ordinance 23-05-05 and extension Ordinance 24-05-09; N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Cryptocurrency mining server farms; county cited electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, e-waste, noise, and lack of standards.
• Affected projects: Cryptocurrency mining uses in unincorporated Buncombe County; data centers addressed in later planning memo as separate use.
• Detailed status: Expired/replaced — captured staff memo (PH 1 MEMO Crypto/Data Ctr) referenced an Aug. 19, 2024 Planning Board review of proposed text amendments for crypto mining and data centers, with the moratorium running until May 2025. [Evidence ceiling: Buncombe Legistar's MainBody.aspx and Calendar.aspx return blank renderings even with a real Chrome browser (the calendar widget is fully JS-driven and requires authenticated session state to enumerate), and Buncombe's Municode TOC fetched 2026-04-30 lists Chapters 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 21, 22, 26, 30, 34 — i.e., the Code of Ordinances does not include zoning, which Buncombe publishes separately. The replacement-ordinance status would require pulling the BOC minutes for fall 2024 directly from County Clerk records.]
• Outcome: County planning memo proposed text amendments for cryptocurrency mining and data centers; final adopted text not retrievable via Buncombe's online portals as of 2026-04-30 (Legistar and CivicEngage both require authenticated JS state).

Charlotte

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-08, unanimous City Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-06-08 (exact)
• Duration: 150 days, through November 5, 2026
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-charlotte-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium; ordinance number not located (Charlotte's Legistar search interface is JavaScript-rendered and could not be queried via fetch)
• What prompted it: Public concern over electricity rates, water consumption, noise, and neighborhood impacts tied to a proposed American Towers data center in east Charlotte; a May 26, 2026 public hearing drew 50-plus speakers
• Affected projects: Proposed American Towers data center, east Charlotte
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31 (runs through Nov 5, 2026). City staff are drafting permanent regulations during the pause; a July 29, 2026 Charlotte Observer piece indicates the Council faces further votes on data centers after its summer break, and a related data-center community task force was reported paused in early July amid an unrelated council transparency dispute. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: 150-day moratorium on new data-center development/rezoning petitions to allow time for policy development

Chatham County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-02-11
• Normalized date: 2026-02-11 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, to 2027-02-11, or earlier if new zoning regulations are adopted
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-chatham-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-0061; N.C.G.S. 160D-107; hearing under N.C.G.S. 160D-601
• What prompted it: Potential large-scale data center interest at Triangle Innovation Point West in Moncure; county findings cite water and electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, e-waste, noise, and unaddressed zoning categories.
• Affected projects: Triangle Innovation Point West; ordinance covers data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations, and related uses in unincorporated Chatham County outside municipal ETJs.
• Detailed status: Active; Eco TIP West LLC (associated with Kirk Bradley of Lee-Moore Capital) filed suit in Chatham County Superior Court, reported by chathamnc.com 2026-04-26, seeking declaration that the moratorium is unlawful and that its 750 MW project at Triangle Innovation Point West is exempt; Eco TIP West reports investing more than $11 million pre-moratorium. Case caption: \emph{Eco TIP West, LLC v. Chatham County}, Chatham County Superior Court (per chathamnc.com 2026-04-26). The NC eCourts portal at portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal applies an Akamai "Let's confirm you are human" challenge after entering Smart Search that defeats automated docket retrieval as of 2026-04-30; chathamnc.com and IndyWeek do not publish the file number. [Evidence ceiling: docket number requires manual retrieval from the Chatham County Clerk of Superior Court.]
• Outcome: Pending. Planning staff were directed to study impacts and prepare zoning text amendments during the moratorium.

Cherokee County (high-impact facilities; cryptocurrency mining; data-center-adjacent)

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2023-10-02 (signed by Chairman Cal Stiles, Cherokee County Board of Commissioners; "On this the 2nd day of October, 2023" per OCR of the High Impact Facility Moratorium PDF).
• Normalized date: 2023-10-02 (exact)
• Duration: 1 year from date of adoption, "or until such time as the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners enacts a high-impact land use ordinance," per Section 3 of the ordinance (OCR-confirmed).
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-cherokee-county-2023
• Legal basis: High-Impact Facility Moratorium adopted under N.C.G.S. 160D-107(a) and 160D-107(d); ordinance text recites Cherokee County Comprehensive Plan adoption September 18, 2023 and finds at least 3 crypto mining sites in the county; covered uses include asphalt facilities; bulk inflammable, chemical, biological-waste or explosive storage; cryptocurrency mining server farms; unenclosed data storage facilities with powered cooling; facilities with generators ≥600 kW fossil-fuel power; solid-waste management/disposal facilities; commercial incinerators; bulk concrete production; nuclear/toxic-material storage or disposal; and privately operated prisons. Scope: unincorporated Cherokee County, excluding lands within the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The county does not have land-use zoning, so the moratorium operated through permit gating only. PDF stored at research/_originals/cherokee-county-high-impact-facility-moratorium-2023.pdf; OCR text in research/_web/cherokee-county-high-impact-facility-moratorium-2023-ocr.md.
• What prompted it: Existing cryptocurrency mining noise and electricity concerns in the Murphy/Marble area.
• Affected projects: Cryptocurrency mining/high-impact facilities; the Marble facility has converted from crypto to AI workloads.
• Detailed status: Expired — per BPR (2026-04-10), the Cherokee County moratorium "had been expired for a year" by January 2026; Commissioner Ben Adams asked the board to renew the moratorium and add AI data centers, but the board did not act, and Adams is now pursuing planning-board-led ordinance work (per Cherokee Scout). One former crypto mine in Marble (Core Scientific) is converting to a hyperscaler-class AI data center.
• Outcome: No moratorium currently in force; planning board reconvened to develop possible ordinance without zoning.

City of Asheville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-23, City Council approval following public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-06-23 (exact)
• Duration: One year (June 23, 2026 through June 22, 2027, or earlier if new data center zoning regulations are adopted)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-asheville-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium ordinance applying to new development, uses, or changes of use within NAICS 518210 or functionally equivalent facilities; ordinance number not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

City of Boiling Spring Lakes

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-02, Board of Commissioners adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-06-02 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (June 2, 2026 through June 2, 2027, or until adoption of new zoning regulations, whichever occurs first)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-boiling-spring-lakes-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance (temporary moratorium on data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations, and associated uses); incidental server rooms and G.S. 160D-107(c)-exempt projects excluded
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

City of Brevard

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2026-03-16 (City Council Regular Meeting per agenda item J(4) "Proposed Moratorium on Data Centers and Similar High-Intensity Land Uses")
• Normalized date: 2026-03-16 (exact)
• Duration: 90 days, City Manager Wilson Hooper presented end date of "running through July 2[, 2026]" per Hendersonville Times-News reporting; March 16 + 90 days = June 14, but city's planned 90-day window ran past that to July 2 (Council's adopted end-date prevails over arithmetic).
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-brevard-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium on data centers and similar high-intensity land uses adopted under N.C.G.S. 160D-107 (Brevard's land-use authority); March 16, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting agenda packet (cityofbrevard.com AgendaCenter ID _03162026-1793) lists item J(4) as "Proposed Moratorium on Data Centers and Similar High-Intensity Land Uses" with no instrument number on the published agenda. [Evidence ceiling: as of 2026-04-30, Brevard's AgendaCenter has the meeting agenda but no signed-ordinance PDF or post-meeting minutes for the 2026-03-16 session.]
• What prompted it: Past documented data center inquiries; lack of land-use standards for high-resource, noisy, large-format facilities.
• Affected projects: No active project identified by city officials.
• Detailed status: Lapsed/superseded: temporary moratorium (Ord. 2026-11) ran through its own term (~2026-07-02); permanent zoning ordinance Ord. 2026-19 (adopted 2026-05-18) now regulates data centers as a conditional industrial use.
• Outcome: Resolved: Council adopted Ord. 2026-19 on 2026-05-18, restricting data centers to industrial zoning districts and requiring case-by-case conditional rezoning.

City of Hendersonville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Not yet enacted as of 2026-07-22; City Council moved the moratorium proposal forward at its 2026-07-22 meeting with a public hearing scheduled for 2026-09-03, per N.C.G.S. 160D-107 procedure.
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Up to 12 months per City Attorney Angie Beeker's comparison to peer moratoria, though she noted Hendersonville's could be shorter; not finalized.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-hendersonville-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed moratorium on data center development under N.C.G.S. 160D-107; statute requires a public hearing before adoption, scheduled for 2026-09-03.
• What prompted it: Concerns about high water and electricity consumption and noise from data centers.
• Affected projects: None identified in reporting.
• Detailed status: Pending. Public hearing scheduled 2026-09-03; not yet enacted.
• Outcome: Council directed staff to prepare the moratorium ordinance and set the required public hearing.

City of Kings Mountain

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-02-24
• Normalized date: 2026-02-24 (exact)
• Duration: 182 days, ending with public hearing on 2026-08-25
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-kings-mountain-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-11, adopted 5-2 on motion by Councilmember Annie Thombs (seconded by Lemmond), enacting 182-day moratorium on permitting new data centers; N.C.G.S. 160D-107(d) findings (problems/conditions, scope, duration, schedule) read into the record by Planning Director Henry Earle (per Feb. 24, 2026 minutes). Dissenting: Neisler, Fletcher.
• What prompted it: Numerous inquiries from developers; UDO written in 2021 did not define data centers or set standards for location, buffering, lighting, noise, utility usage, or on-site generation.
• Affected projects: No named project in captured agenda packet.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Staff planned five Planning and Zoning Board meetings before bringing text amendments to council on 2026-08-25.

City of Mount Airy

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-16, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption of Ordinance No. 2027-002 following legislative hearing with no speakers
• Normalized date: 2026-07-16 (exact)
• Duration: 60 days, effective July 16, 2026 through September 14, 2026 unless ended or modified earlier
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-mount-airy-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2027-002
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; bars the city from accepting, processing, or approving specified development applications for new or expanded data centers, including cryptocurrency mining, in areas subject to city zoning authority
• Outcome: —

City of Wilson

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-21, City Council unanimous adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-05-21 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-wilson-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium ordinance; ordinance number not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: Pause intended to allow development of zoning standards
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of [VERIFY instrument number not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Clay County (permanent restriction after earlier crypto moratorium)

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-01-08, confirmed by the signed county ordinance (Ordinance No. 01.08.2026), hosted directly on Clay County's own website; related cryptocurrency prohibition effective 2022-08-04.
• Normalized date: 2026-01-08 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite prohibition, not a temporary moratorium
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-clay-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 01.08.2026 prohibiting commercial data centers; separate ordinance prohibiting commercial cryptocurrency mining facilities.
• What prompted it: Rural character, infrastructure limits, high energy and water demands, noise, and environmental concerns.
• Affected projects: Commercial data centers meeting county definition, including facilities at or above 2 MW peak demand; commercial cryptocurrency mining facilities.
• Detailed status: Active permanent restriction
• Outcome: County moved from temporary crypto pause to permanent crypto prohibition, then added a standalone data center prohibition in 2026.

Cumberland County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-15, Board of Commissioners 7-0 adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: 6 months, through December 15, 2026 unless rescinded sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-cumberland-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium on data center site-plan review and zoning and building permits; instrument number not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; applies in the county's zoning jurisdiction; excludes incidental information technology supporting an otherwise permitted business
• Outcome: —

Davie County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-06, County Commissioners unanimous approval
• Normalized date: 2026-07-06 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-davie-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commissioners data center moratorium; signed ordinance text and precise expiration language not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: Residents spoke for nearly two hours about environmental, water, and public health concerns
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of per news reporting [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Durham

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-05-05, unanimous City Council vote for an initial 60-day moratorium; extended 2026-06-16/17 as part of FY2027 budget passage for further study
• Normalized date: 2026-05-05 (range)
• Duration: Initially 60 days; extended in mid-June 2026 for further study. The new term length was not stated in any source fetched.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-durham-2026
• Legal basis: City Council ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Councilmember Nate Baker initially proposed a 2-year ban, but the City Attorney noted North Carolina's UDO procedures effectively cap such moratoria at 12 months, so the Council settled on 60 days as a first step
• Affected projects: Not tied to a single named project
• Detailed status: Extended and still active as of 2026-07-31; the exact current expiration date could not be confirmed from a primary source. This is a distinct City government action, separate from Durham County's separate one-year moratorium adopted by the County Board of Commissioners (see companion candidate). [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: 60-day moratorium on data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations, later extended

Durham County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-22, Board of Commissioners vote
• Normalized date: 2026-06-22 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-durham-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium; the same day the Board also approved a UDO rule change described as making future development moratoriums easier to adopt
• What prompted it: Data-center development pressure in the county; commissioners cited a desire to study impacts and get ahead of the industry's growth
• Affected projects: Not tied to a single named project
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31 (one-year term would run to approximately June 2027); no rescission or extension was located. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: One-year moratorium on data center development

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (tribal and trust lands)

• Type: Tribal
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: 2026-05-07, Tribal Council passage of Ordinance 158(26); ordinance text states it becomes effective upon ratification by the Principal Chief, and ratification was not confirmed in reviewed sources
• Normalized date: 2026-05-07 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-eastern-band-of-cherokee-indians-tribal-and-trust-lands-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 158(26)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Passed by Tribal Council 2026-05-07; Principal Chief ratification not confirmed as of researched_as_of [VERIFY details not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Gates County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-12-17, confirmed by the signed, dated ordinance now posted on the county website at the same URL that previously held only a blank-field draft.
• Normalized date: 2025-12-17 (exact)
• Duration: 1 year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-gates-county-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance imposing temporary moratorium on development approvals for data centers and related high-impact facilities; N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Developer inquiries in northeast North Carolina; county findings cite energy use, utility strain, noise, water use, hazardous materials, e-waste, and rural/agricultural land compatibility.
• Affected projects: No named project in captured ordinance draft; WUNC reports the county acted after staff heard developers were exploring northeastern North Carolina.
• Detailed status: Active. Ordinance in force from December 17, 2025 through December 17, 2026, per the signed, executed instrument now posted by the county.
• Outcome: Pending. Ordinance sets a 12-month work plan for impact study, draft UDO amendments, public workshops, Planning Board review, and final hearings.

Harnett County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-05, Board of Commissioners vote
• Normalized date: 2026-05-05 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-harnett-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium; order/ordinance number not located (county records portal required cookies/login that could not be satisfied)
• What prompted it: A pending data-center proposal in the county prompted commissioners to pause new applications while they study how to regulate the industry
• Affected projects: An unnamed pending data-center proposal referenced in contemporaneous coverage
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31 (one-year term would run to approximately May 2027). This record rests only on secondary news sources; the county's own ordinance/document repository could not be accessed to confirm an ordinance number or exact vote tally. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted to allow time to study how to regulate the data-center industry

Henderson County (cryptocurrency mining; data-center-adjacent)

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2023-05-01
• Normalized date: 2023-05-01 (exact)
• Duration: 60 days
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-henderson-county-2023
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners public hearing item 2023.62; temporary moratorium on cryptocurrency mining
• What prompted it: Noise, energy demand, and community impact concerns; need for code amendments.
• Affected projects: No named project in captured minutes.
• Detailed status: Expired / replaced
• Outcome: Land Development Code now treats cryptocurrency mining as a Special Use Permit use with SR 10.5 standards, including setbacks, separation, noise, and operating limits.

Madison County (cryptocurrency mining; data-center-adjacent)

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2023-06-13 (Board of Commissioners adoption per OCR-extracted county press release dated 2023-06-16)
• Normalized date: 2023-06-13 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months ("limited moratorium" on data processing facility land uses, including data processing centers and crypto mining operations supporting blockchain, cryptocurrency mining, weather modeling, genome sequencing, and similar workloads)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-madison-county-2023
• Legal basis: Madison County Limited Moratorium on Data Processing Facilities, adopted June 13, 2023 (per County Manager Rod Honeycutt press release, confirmed by EasyOCR of madison-county-crypto-moratorium-2023.pdf); enacted under N.C.G.S. 160D-107. [Evidence ceiling: county press release is a notice, not the operative instrument; the signed resolution/ordinance text would be in the June 13, 2023 BOC minutes which the small county Weebly site does not archive online.]
• What prompted it: Growing prevalence of data processing/crypto mining facilities; need to study infrastructure, energy, environmental, and economic impacts before regulating.
• Affected projects: Data processing facilities and crypto mining operations countywide.
• Detailed status: Expired by its 12-month term (June 2024) without a captured replacement ordinance. The Madison County Planning and Zoning page, refetched with a real Chrome browser on 2026-04-30, lists exactly five published ordinances — Land Use, Watershed Protection, Mountain Ridge Protection, Noise, and Subdivision — and does not list any data-processing-facility or cryptocurrency-specific ordinance. Mountain Xpress and BPR site searches return no Madison County replacement-ordinance article. On this evidence the moratorium most likely lapsed without replacement.
• Outcome: Pending verification — county planned to study impacts and develop regulations; replacement text not located in captured fetches; the absence of a listed instrument on Madison County's Planning page suggests the moratorium may have lapsed without a replacement, but this cannot be confirmed without access to BOC minutes (not posted online by Madison County).

McDowell County (cryptocurrency mining; data-center-adjacent)

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: May 15, 2023, per McDowell County Board of Commissioners' own posted meeting minutes: a two-month cryptocurrency-mining moratorium was moved by Vice-Chairman Walker, seconded by Commissioner Ellis, and passed 4-0. Replacement prohibition adopted 2024-01-08.
• Normalized date: 2023-05-15 (exact)
• Duration: Two months as adopted (approximately mid-July 2023), per the confirmed minutes; superseded by a permanent cryptocurrency-mining prohibition effective 2024-01-08. No record was found of a formal extension bridging the roughly five-month gap between the moratorium's own two-month term and the January 2024 permanent ordinance; that gap remains unresolved.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-mcdowell-county-2026
• Legal basis: January 8, 2024 Board minutes state the adopted cryptocurrency ordinance ended the moratorium.
• What prompted it: Cryptocurrency mine noise, natural resources, and electric grid concerns.
• Affected projects: Cryptocurrency mines; residential cryptocurrency mining remained allowed under the replacement ordinance, according to minutes.
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Commissioners adopted an ordinance prohibiting establishment of cryptocurrency mines, effective 2024-01-08.

Northampton County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-04, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-05-04 (exact)
• Duration: 32 months, effective through January 4, 2029
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-northampton-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium ordinance covering unincorporated areas; ordinance/resolution number not located in reviewed sources; N.C.G.S. 160D-107 procedure implied for a development moratorium of this length
• What prompted it: Residents petitioned (about 300 signatures) for a longer pause than the initially proposed 12 months; county committed to forming an advisory committee
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; runs through January 4, 2029 unless amended
• Outcome: —

Orange County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-21
• Normalized date: 2026-04-21 (exact)
• Duration: 1 year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-orange-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance establishing one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers; N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: March 2026 board direction and staff study of electricity demand, water usage, land-use compatibility, environmental impacts, resident utility costs, and water quality.
• Affected projects: Large-scale data centers, AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, data processing facilities, and similar operations.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Staff directed to prepare UDO amendments defining and regulating large-scale data centers and related uses.

Pasquotank County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-18, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption, effective May 18, 2026 through May 17, 2027, or until earlier zoning amendments take effect
• Normalized date: 2026-05-18 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (May 18, 2026 through May 17, 2027, or until earlier zoning amendments take effect)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-pasquotank-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium ordinance; N.C.G.S. 160D-107 (implied)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; covers unincorporated county territory outside municipal extraterritorial jurisdictions; incidental onsite server rooms exempt
• Outcome: —

Rowan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-20 (Monday). Rowan County's CivicClerk portal (rowancountync.portal.civicclerk.com) shows a Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting on "Monday Apr 20, 2026 6:00 PM EDT" with the agenda packet posted April 21, 2026 at 8:32 AM — consistent with the Legislative Hearing Notice's announcement of the April 20 hearing and inconsistent with the .md's prior reading of WBTV. WBTV's article is dated 2026-04-21 (publication date, not meeting date) and the WBTV text does not in fact say "Tuesday April 21"; it just reports the unanimous vote without naming a day.
• Normalized date: 2026-04-20 (exact)
• Duration: 1 year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-rowan-county-2026
• Legal basis: Adopted under N.C.G.S. 160D-107 following Legislative Hearing Notice issued April 6, 2026 by Clerk Sarah Pack; the Notice expressly limits the hearing to 1 hour of public comment and exempts EDC Charlotte LLC parcels. [Evidence ceiling: Rowan County's CivicClerk portal indexes the April 20 meeting agenda, but the adopted-ordinance number was not included in the captured agenda-listing as of 2026-04-30; would require pulling the post-meeting minutes when published.]
• What prompted it: Public concern over data center siting (notably the Long Ferry Road project on land owned by an unnamed data-center developer) and need to study land-use standards.
• Affected projects: Hearing notice expressly exempts projects/properties prohibited from inclusion by N.C.G.S. 160D-107(c), including EDC Charlotte LLC parcels 603-112, 603-113, 603-114, 603-116, 603-118, 603-045, and 603-061. WBTV separately reports the Long Ferry Road site preparation (a power substation, ~400 acres) cannot be included in the moratorium under state law.
• Detailed status: Active per WBTV; commissioners vote unanimous
• Outcome: Pending UDO study.

Surry County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: Initial 60-day pause enacted the week of 2026-06-01 (exact date not located; inferred from board meeting sequence per WUNC); extended 2026-07-20 by unanimous Board of Commissioners vote into a two-year moratorium
• Normalized date: 2026-06 (range)
• Duration: Initially 60 days; extended July 20, 2026 to a two-year moratorium (roughly through mid-2028); a steering committee was also created to research the issue and advise commissioners
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-surry-county-2026
• Legal basis: Initial 60-day pause adopted by the Board of Commissioners (ordinance/resolution text not located); extended by unanimous Board vote on 2026-07-20 into a two-year moratorium (instrument number not located)
• What prompted it: County had no pending data center application, but officials said existing regulations did not address energy, water, and noise impacts
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of per news reporting [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Swain County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-21 (commissioners unanimously passed at regular session per BPR; follows March 31, 2026 public hearing)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-21 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-swain-county-2026
• Legal basis: County moratorium ordinance on permitting and development approvals for data centers and other high-impact facilities, agenda voting item V(a) for the April 21, 2026 regular session; adopted under N.C.G.S. 160D-107. [Evidence ceiling: Swain County does not maintain a Granicus, Legistar, or CivicClerk-style ordinance index; BPR's coverage and the captured Swain agenda PDF reference the moratorium item without an instrument number.]
• What prompted it: March 31 public meeting with roughly 140 residents and 34 speakers; concerns included water use, energy use, noise, visual impacts, fisheries, and mountain watershed effects.
• Affected projects: No named project identified in captured reporting.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Commissioners voted to create two resident ad hoc committees to guide the research and ordinance process.

Town of Apex

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-14 (Town Council unanimous, per IndyWeek; adoption following published public hearing under §§ 160D-107 and 160D-601, notice published March 25–April 14, 2026)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-14 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, ending 2027-04-27 per IndyWeek; the ordinance is town-wide including extraterritorial jurisdiction
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-apex-2026
• Legal basis: Town-wide moratorium noticed under N.C.G.S. 160D-107 and 160D-601; covers acceptance, processing, and approval of development applications for data centers, cryptocurrency mining, data processing, and associated uses. [Evidence ceiling: Apex's CivicEngage AgendaCenter rendered with a real Chrome browser displays only a calendar widget and search interface; individual Town Council 2026 meeting agenda links are populated dynamically and were not surfaced for the April 14, 2026 meeting in any captured fetch as of 2026-04-30. The captured public-hearing notice (Apex DocumentCenter View 53939) and IndyWeek's vote coverage cite no instrument number; Apex Municode has not yet incorporated the new moratorium.]
• What prompted it: Resident opposition to a proposed data center, followed by developer withdrawal; town cited water consumption, energy demand, backup generation, noise, land-use compatibility, transportation, and lack of UDO standards.
• Affected projects: Prior Natelli Investments/related Apex proposal was withdrawn before the moratorium; no pending project identified in captured notice.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Town will study and consider UDO and policy amendments.

Town of Bailey

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-18, Board of Commissioners 3-1 vote
• Normalized date: 2026-05-18 (exact)
• Duration: 10 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-bailey-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Commissioners moratorium on accepting, processing, or approving data center applications in the town and its extraterritorial jurisdiction; ordinance/resolution number not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: Dissenting commissioner argued the definition was too broad
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

Town of Boone

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-23 (Town Council unanimous 5-0 vote, per WataugaOnline and WHQR)
• Normalized date: 2026-03-23 (exact)
• Duration: 1 year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-boone-2026
• Legal basis: Town ordinance banning development of data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations for one year, adopted after public hearing process under N.C.G.S. 160D-107; Mayor Dalton George brought the issue to council per WHQR; March 23 was a Monday, consistent with WHQR's "Monday night" reporting. [Evidence ceiling: Boone's Granicus archive search at townofboone.granicus.com/ViewSearchResults.php returns zero records for the keyword "moratorium" as of 2026-04-30; the only public-hearing entries indexed for spring 2026 do not include the March 23 special action, so the adopted instrument number is not retrievable from the Granicus archive.]
• What prompted it: Public concern over infrastructure strain, water resources, environmental effects, and local fit; nearly 100 residents reportedly attended the meeting.
• Affected projects: No named project identified in captured reporting.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Town planned to study environmental and economic impacts and develop regulations or prohibitions.

Town of Canton

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-02-11 (Board of Aldermen unanimous adoption following public hearing same evening, per WFAE)
• Normalized date: 2026-02-11 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-canton-2026
• Legal basis: Town moratorium ordinance ("A Proposed Moratorium Ordinance Regulation Data Centers, Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities, and Server Farms") taken up at Feb. 11, 2026 Special Called meeting (Canton agenda confirms public-hearing item title); WFAE describes the unanimous adoption as a "resolution"; instrument number not assigned in captured WFAE/Mountaineer/SMN coverage. The town's online agenda center lists only the Feb. 11 special-called agenda PDF, with the post-meeting minutes for that session not posted as of 2026-04-30. [Evidence ceiling: Canton's online agenda archive does not include the adopted instrument number for the Feb. 11 special session.]
• What prompted it: Inquiries about converting the former paper mill site to a data center, cryptocurrency mining facility, or server farm; local and environmental comments cited water, energy, noise, heat, air emissions, few permanent jobs, and future reuse of the mill site.
• Affected projects: Former Canton paper mill site inquiries; no formal application identified in captured town records.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Town officials said the pause would allow longer-term local ordinance controls.

Town of Clyde

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-16 (public hearing followed by adoption per Smoky Mountain News reporting; Mayor Jim Trantham, Mayor Pro Tem Frank Lay)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-16 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-clyde-2026
• Legal basis: Town moratorium under N.C.G.S. 160D-107: "Town shall not accept, process or approve any application for zoning permits, conditional use permits, site plans, building permits or other development approvals for the construction, establishment or expansion of a data center within the town" for 12 months. [Evidence ceiling: Town of Clyde maintains a small static townofclyde.com page with no agenda/ordinance index, no Granicus/Legistar/CivicClerk portal, and is not indexed in the NC School of Government local ordinance database; Smoky Mountain News and BPR coverage quote ordinance text but do not assign an instrument number.]
• What prompted it: Regional western North Carolina data center concerns; speakers cited water consumption, electrical demand and Duke rate increases, noise, weak local jobs/tax-base benefits; preemption fears specifically referenced by Lay.
• Affected projects: Town Administrator Joy Garland reported no inquiries had been received.
• Detailed status: Active.
• Outcome: Pending; town will study during 12-month period. Speakers urged longer-term measures, but Lay (an attorney) explained that case law and General Assembly guidance limit moratorium duration to roughly one year.

Town of Franklin

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-06, Town Council unanimous adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-002 following public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-07-06 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption unless ended earlier or lawfully extended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-franklin-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2026-002
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; suspends acceptance, processing, review, approval, and issuance of development approvals for new data centers within town limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction
• Outcome: —

Town of Hillsborough

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-05-27, Board of Commissioners 4-0 adoption of Ordinance 20260527-5.A (initial 60-day term, May 28-July 27, 2026); extended 2026-06-22 by subsequent Board action to run through May 27, 2027, or until earlier adoption of new zoning and utility-extension regulations
• Normalized date: 2026-05-27 (exact)
• Duration: Initially 60 days (May 28-July 27, 2026); extended June 22, 2026 to run through May 27, 2027 (total term approximately one year from initial adoption)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-hillsborough-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 20260527-5.A (initial term); extended by Board of Commissioners action on 2026-06-22; the extension's instrument number was not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of, applies in town, extraterritorial jurisdiction, and future planning area; incidental onsite server rooms and state-law-exempt projects excluded
• Outcome: —

Town of Holly Springs

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-16, Town Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-06-16 (exact)
• Duration: Up to 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-holly-springs-2026
• Legal basis: Town Council moratorium pausing approval of new data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations; a separately numbered adopted ordinance was not located in reviewed sources
• What prompted it: Town said it would study water, energy, traffic, noise, appropriate locations, and possible UDO amendments
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; applies in town and extraterritorial jurisdiction [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Town of Spring Hope

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-04, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption of Resolution 2026-01
• Normalized date: 2026-05-04 (exact)
• Duration: One year (12 months)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-spring-hope-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-01, imposing a one-year pause on data centers within the town and its extraterritorial jurisdiction
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

Town of Wendell

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-13 (Wendell Town Board meeting; YouTube livestream title "Wendell Board Meeting - April 13th 2026"; Wendell town FAQ scheduled the public hearing for April 13, 2026 at 7 PM; AOL/N&O reporting confirms duration "through the end of the year")
• Normalized date: 2026-04-13 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2026-12-31 (per AOL/N&O via Wendell planning director Bryan Coates)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-wendell-2026
• Legal basis: Town moratorium on acceptance/processing of development applications for data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining; cited authority N.C.G.S. 160D-107; >61-day duration triggered required public hearing. [Evidence ceiling: Wendell's planning-department data-center-moratorium FAQ does not post a numbered ordinance, and the town does not maintain a Granicus, CivicWeb, IQM2, or comparable agenda-archive portal as of 2026-04-30.]
• What prompted it: UDO lacked definitions for data centers and cryptocurrency mining; town wanted clearer development standards before applications.
• Affected projects: No applications reported by town officials.
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending. Town will study impacts and prepare regulations.

Town of Woodfin

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-19, Board of Commissioners 5-0 adoption of Ordinance 2026-04
• Normalized date: 2026-05-19 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-woodfin-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-04
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; official minutes record no public comments at the hearing
• Outcome: —

Watauga County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-21, Board of Commissioners meeting; Board voted unanimously to adopt a one-year countywide data center moratorium at this meeting (Watauga Democrat).
• Normalized date: 2026-04-21 (unverified)
• Duration: 1 year as proposed by Planning Director Jason Walker per Watauga Democrat (March 24, 2026 article); adopted duration not yet confirmable because Watauga County has posted no 2026 BOC minutes online as of 2026-04-30.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-watauga-county-2026
• Legal basis: County data center moratorium proposed under N.C.G.S. 160D-107. [Evidence ceiling: Watauga County's BOC agendas/minutes archives at wataugacounty.org/App_Pages/Dept/BOC/{agendas,minutes}.aspx confirmed via real-Chrome fetch on 2026-04-30 to contain zero 2026 records.]
• What prompted it: Regional data center concern after March 23 Boone action; Director Walker testified small data centers can consume 1–10 MW (700–7,000 homes) and large facilities use 1.5 million gallons of water per day, with Watauga lacking the power capacity to absorb such load.
• Affected projects: None named in Watauga Democrat reporting.
• Detailed status: Active. The Board of Commissioners adopted a one-year, countywide data center moratorium at its April 21, 2026 meeting.
• Outcome: Pending UDO process; commissioners directed staff to develop comprehensive regulations within the moratorium year.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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