North Carolina local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for North Carolina, current through September 23, 2026.

69 instruments — 57 in force, 5 pending, 7 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

Alamance County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-17, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption of a one-year moratorium after a public hearing (county attorney's draft had proposed six months, through 2027-02-17; the board lengthened it to a year)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: One year (to about 2027-08-17), per the motion as amended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-alamance-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for data centers in unincorporated Alamance County, N.C.G.S. 160D-107 (ordinance number not located; adopted with the term lengthened from six months to one year)
• What prompted it: County ordinances do not address data centers; residents urged a longer pause
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium adopted 2026-08-17 (to about 2027-08-17) while the county drafts regulations.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted; regulations to be drafted.

Beaufort County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Proposed; public hearing and vote on a one-year moratorium resolution postponed from 2026-09-14 to the 2026-10-05 Board of Commissioners meeting
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Proposed one year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-beaufort-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Beaufort County one-year moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for data center developments
• What prompted it: Resident concerns about water, energy and farmland
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; official public hearing and vote scheduled for 2026-10-05.
• Outcome: Vote postponed to October.

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).

Camden County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03, Board of Commissioners vote after a public hearing; effective 2026-08-03
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: About five months: effective 2026-08-03, ends 2027-01-03 unless UDO amendments are approved first
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-camden-county-2026
• Legal basis: Camden County moratorium ordinance on development related to data centers, data processing facilities and cryptocurrency mining (number not located)
• What prompted it: UDO has no definitions or standards for data centers, data processing or crypto mining, leaving the county little basis to deny a proposal
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; moratorium in effect 2026-08-03 through 2027-01-03 unless UDO amendments (listing the uses as prohibited pending study) are approved first.
• Outcome: Five-month moratorium adopted pending UDO amendments.

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: 2026-11-05
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-charlotte-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Acceptance, Processing, and Approval of Applications for New Telecommunications and Data Storage Facilities within the City of Charlotte and its ETJ pursuant to N.C.G.S. 160D-107, adopted 2026-06-08 after a 2026-05-26 legislative hearing; ordinance-book number not shown on the posted copy
• 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 2026-09-23; the 150-day moratorium runs through 2026-11-05 (or earlier adoption of new data center rules). A proposed nine-month extension (to about 2027-08-05) was endorsed by the Transportation, Planning and Development Committee on 2026-09-08; on 2026-09-14 staff gave only an update to the full council, and a public hearing and council vote are required before Nov. 5. [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: 2027-02-11
• 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 as of 2026-09-23 until 2027-02-11 (or earlier adoption of zoning rules). On 2026-09-17 Superior Court Judge John Morris granted summary judgment to Eco TIP West, LLC in its suit against Chatham County, holding its 750 MW Triangle Innovation Point West data center project may proceed notwithstanding the moratorium (exemption under N.C.G.S. 160D-107(c) / vested rights) and ordering a damages determination; the moratorium itself remains in force for other projects.
• Outcome: Pending. Staff studying impacts and preparing zoning text amendments; the Eco TIP West project was held exempt by court order on 2026-09-17, with damages to be determined.

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, data center
• 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 Greensboro

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-18, City Council 8-0 vote (Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth recused) after an Aug. 17 public hearing; term lengthened from a proposed 120 days to 180 days
• Normalized date: 2026-08-18 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days, until 2027-02-14
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-greensboro-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium ordinance pausing acceptance, processing and approval of development applications for data centers, data storage and processing facilities and similar uses with electrical demand above 10 MW (ordinance number not located)
• What prompted it: Public concern over water, grid and environmental impacts of large data centers; council had rejected a moratorium 5-4 in July; questions about the Gateway Research Park 'Dream Center' AI project
• Affected projects: ImpactData 'Dream Center' AI facility at Gateway Research Park (site plan expired).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 180-day moratorium on data centers over 10 MW runs until 2027-02-14 while council holds expert work sessions and considers Land Development Ordinance amendments.
• Outcome: 180-day moratorium adopted.

City of Hendersonville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-03, City Council adoption (reported unanimous) of Ordinance #O-26-29 after the legislative hearing (agenda item 'Data and Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium')
• Normalized date: 2026-09-03 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption (to about 2027-09-03) unless ended earlier by adoption of zoning text amendments
• Current end date: 2027-09-03
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-hendersonville-undated
• Legal basis: Ordinance #O-26-29, Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers, N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Concerns about high water and electricity consumption and noise from data centers.
• Affected projects: None identified in reporting.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; City Council adopted the 12-month data center moratorium (Ordinance #O-26-29) on 2026-09-03, effective on adoption and expiring about 2027-09-03 unless ended earlier; staff presented a year-long research plan with milestones through April 30, 2027.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted 2026-09-03; staff to study data centers and propose Zoning Ordinance text amendments.

City of Kings Mountain

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-02-24
• Normalized date: 2026-02-24 (exact)
• Duration: Originally 182 days (2026-02-24 to 2026-08-25); extended on 2026-08-25 for an additional twelve months, to about 2027-08-25, unless ended earlier by council
• Current end date: 2027-08-25
• 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. Extended 2026-08-25 by a further ordinance 'to extend the existing moratorium on permitting new data centers for an additional twelve months' (agenda item 10D), adopted 6-1 (Neisler dissenting); extension ordinance number not published in materials located.
• 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: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. On 2026-08-25, the day the original 182-day moratorium expired, City Council voted 6-1 (Councilmember Scott Neisler dissenting) to extend the moratorium on permitting new data centers for twelve more months, to about 2027-08-25, while staff finish UDO data center standards. An 80-acre AI data center proposal off I-85 remains on hold; the existing T5 campus is unaffected.
• Outcome: Extended 12 months on 2026-08-25; UDO text amendments for data centers still in preparation with the Planning and Zoning Board.

City of Mount Airy

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• 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 (2026-07-16 through 2026-09-14), extended 2026-09-03 by ninety days from 2026-09-14, through 2026-12-13
• Current end date: 2026-12-13
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-mount-airy-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2027-002 (initial 60-day moratorium, adopted 2026-07-16); extended by Ordinance No. 2027-008 (ninety-day extension, public hearing and adoption 2026-09-03; hearing set by Resolution No. 2027-008 on 2026-08-20)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. On 2026-09-03 the Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 2027-008 extending the moratorium for ninety days from 2026-09-14 (through about 2026-12-13) so the Planning Board can finish a data center ordinance; it bars accepting, processing or approving applications for new or expanded data centers, including cryptocurrency mining, in areas under city zoning authority.
• Outcome: Extended 90 days while the Planning Board finalizes a data center text amendment (draft nearing completion in September 2026).

City of Raleigh

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Proposed; on 2026-09-15 City Council directed the city attorney to draft a six-month moratorium, with council discussion and a possible vote at the 2026-10-06 meeting
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Proposed six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-raleigh-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed City of Raleigh moratorium on new data centers of 10,000 sq ft or larger (draft by city attorney), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Resident calls for a pause after a withdrawn RadiusDC annexation request for a data center in Southeast Raleigh
• Affected projects: RadiusDC proposed ~100,000 sq ft data center near Jones Sausage and Rock Quarry roads (annexation withdrawn).
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; draft six-month moratorium scheduled for council discussion and possible vote on 2026-10-06. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Draft moratorium in preparation.

City of Southport

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-10, Board of Aldermen unanimous adoption (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Karen Mosteller) after a legislative hearing set in August
• Normalized date: 2026-09-10 (exact)
• Duration: 15 months (to about 2027-12-10)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-southport-2026
• Legal basis: City of Southport data center moratorium ordinance, N.C.G.S. 160D-107 (ordinance number not located); recommended by the Planning Board
• What prompted it: Unified development ordinance has no data center regulations (districts, setbacks, other standards)
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 15-month moratorium adopted 2026-09-10 (to about 2027-12-10) while the city workshops UDO rules.
• Outcome: 15-month moratorium adopted.

City of Statesville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-14, City Council unanimous approval on second reading (first reading advanced in August, lengthened from a proposed 150 days to 180 days)
• Normalized date: 2026-09-14 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days from 2026-09-14 (to about 2027-03-13)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-statesville-2026
• Legal basis: City of Statesville data center moratorium ordinance (number not located), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Rapid data center growth; residents opposed new facilities; does not affect the approved $1 billion Compass Datacenters campus on Stamey Farm Road
• Affected projects: Compass Datacenters Stamey Farm Road campus (approved Sept. 2025; exempt).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 180-day moratorium in effect from 2026-09-14 (to about 2027-03-13); previously approved projects (Compass Datacenters) unaffected.
• Outcome: 180-day moratorium adopted.

City of Whiteville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-25, City Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-08-25 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months: 2026-08-25 until 2027-08-25 or earlier adoption of a zoning text amendment
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-city-of-whiteville-2026
• Legal basis: City of Whiteville moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining (ordinance number not located)
• What prompted it: Proactive study of impacts on local resources and public health; no active proposals
• Affected projects: None; no active proposals.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs from 2026-08-25 until 2027-08-25 or earlier adoption of a zoning ordinance text amendment.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted.

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: 2027-05-21
• 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 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium adopted unanimously 2026-05-21 (to about 2027-05-21) on development approvals for data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations and battery energy storage systems; no rescission or replacement found. [VERIFY instrument number not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

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: 2026-12-15
• 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 2026-09-23 through 2026-12-15; applies in the county's zoning jurisdiction. Proposed permanent data center regulations were presented to the Joint Planning Board in September 2026, with the Board of Commissioners aiming to adopt rules by the Dec. 15 expiration.
• 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: commences 2026-07-06 and expires no later than 2027-07-05
• Current end date: 2027-07-05
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-davie-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Imposing a One-Year Moratorium on the Development of Data Centers in Davie County ('Temporary Data Center Moratorium'; unnumbered), adopted 5-0 on 2026-07-06 after a legislative hearing, with the early-termination sentence of Section I(2) struck by amendment
• What prompted it: Residents spoke for nearly two hours about environmental, water, and public health concerns
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-07-05; bars permits and rezonings for data centers countywide under county zoning jurisdiction. Adopted 5-0 on 2026-07-06 per the Board's minutes.
• Outcome: —

Durham

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-05-04, City Council adoption (6-0, Council Member Cook absent) of the initial moratorium ordinance (PR #19257) after a public hearing; extended 2026-06-15 by Ordinance #16683 (7-0), a 10-month extension totaling 12 months
• Normalized date: 2026-05-04 (exact)
• Duration: Initially 60 days (adopted 2026-05-04); extended 2026-06-15 by 10 months for a total 12-month moratorium running until 2027-05-03
• Current end date: 2027-05-03
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-durham-2026
• Legal basis: Initial ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on development approvals for data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and any use associated with data center processing facilities (PR #19257, adopted 2026-05-04); extended by Ordinance #16683 (PR #19851, adopted 2026-06-15) under N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• 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; active as of 2026-09-23 and running until 2027-05-03. City Council adopted Ordinance #16683 on 2026-06-15 (7-0) extending the May 4 moratorium by 10 months to a 12-month total; the city is surveying residents while drafting data center standards. Separate from Durham County's own nine-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-24.
• Outcome: 60-day moratorium on data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations, later extended

Durham County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24, Board of County Commissioners 4-1 adoption (Vice Chair Nida Allam opposed) after a legislative hearing. The 2026-06-22 meeting adopted only a UDO text amendment easing future moratoria, not the moratorium itself.
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: About nine months: begins 2026-08-25 and lasts until 2027-05-18 or earlier adoption of UDO standards for covered uses
• Current end date: 2027-05-18
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-durham-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on the permitting of large-scale data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations and similar uses (Legistar file 26-0437; ordinance number not shown), N.C.G.S. 160D-107; adopted 2026-08-24. Exempts facilities up to 100,000 sq ft using closed-loop or equivalent cooling and non-diesel backup generation. Preceded by a 2026-06-22 UDO text amendment (TC2600002) removing local limits on moratorium length.
• 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 2026-09-23 through 2027-05-18, aligned with the City of Durham's moratorium. Adopted 4-1 on 2026-08-24; applies in unincorporated Durham County. The earlier record of a 2026-06-22 one-year moratorium was an error: that meeting adopted the UDO rule change only (INDY Week: 'the hearing would be specific to the UDO ordinance, not a moratorium vote').
• Outcome: Nine-month moratorium on large data centers adopted 2026-08-24; staff to draft UDO standards.

Edgecombe County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03, Board of Commissioners 5-0 vote (Boswell and Webb absent) after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: Two years, until 2028-08-03
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-edgecombe-county-2026
• Legal basis: Edgecombe County two-year moratorium on accepting, processing and approving development applications and permits for data centers and related uses (ordinance number not located)
• What prompted it: Proposed Energy Storage Solutions data center near Kingsboro (special use permit denied; developer withdrew); county wants rules before new proposals
• Affected projects: Energy Storage Solutions data center proposal near Kingsboro (withdrawn).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; two-year moratorium adopted 2026-08-03, running until 2028-08-03.
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium adopted.

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.

Guilford County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Proposed; on 2026-09-17 the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to schedule an Oct. 15, 2026 legislative public hearing on a moratorium of up to 180 days
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Proposed up to 180 days
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-guilford-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Guilford County temporary moratorium on data centers (up to 180 days), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Growing data center controversy; county deciding how to regulate large, power-hungry facilities
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; legislative public hearing scheduled for 2026-10-15.
• Outcome: Hearing scheduled.

Halifax County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Proposed; on 2026-09-08 the Board of Commissioners voted 5-1 to schedule an Oct. 19, 2026 legislative hearing on a data center moratorium
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Not yet set
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-halifax-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Halifax County data center moratorium, N.C.G.S. 160D-107; legislative hearing set for 2026-10-19
• What prompted it: Zoning ordinance does not regulate data centers; Quiet Data Centers Halifax 88 MW AI project at the county-owned 301 Industrial Site near Enfield
• Affected projects: Quiet Data Centers Halifax AI data center, 301 Industrial Site (county attorney warned a moratorium could affect the existing agreement).
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; legislative hearing on a possible moratorium scheduled for 2026-10-19. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Hearing scheduled.

Harnett County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-04, Board of Commissioners adoption of Ordinance 2026-17 after a nearly two-hour public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-05-04 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: 2027-05-04
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-harnett-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-17, An Ordinance of the County of Harnett Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for Data Centers (covers data centers, data processing facilities and cryptocurrency mining)
• 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 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium (Ordinance 2026-17) adopted 2026-05-04, running to about 2027-05-04; WUNC's Sept. 16, 2026 roundup still lists it in force.
• 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.

Jackson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-18, Board of Commissioners unanimous approval of a one-year data center moratorium ordinance
• Normalized date: 2026-08-18 (exact)
• Duration: One year, through 2027-08-18; commissioners may end it early by majority vote
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-jackson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Jackson County data center moratorium ordinance (number not located), N.C.G.S. 160D-107; bars zoning, development, building and demolition permits, related site plans and rezonings for data centers in the county's planning jurisdiction
• What prompted it: UDO lacks a data center definition; county wants to study benefits and impacts before a proposal arrives and avoid nonconformity problems
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-08-18; planning board study through January 2027, draft UDO changes from February, planning board hearing by 2027-06-30.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium with a work plan toward UDO data center regulations.

Lincolnton

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-03
• Normalized date: 2026-09-03 (exact)
• Duration: From 2026-09-03 to 2027-01-01, extendable
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-lincolnton-2026
• Legal basis: Lincolnton City Council motion/ordinance adopting a moratorium on data center applications (2026-09-03)
• What prompted it: No zoning text addressing data centers; proposed $600M data center project at 232 Car Farm Road
• Affected projects: Proposed $600 million data center project at 232 Car Farm Road
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Contrary to earlier reporting that Council would delay a decision, a divided City Council voted at its 2026-09-03 meeting to adopt a moratorium on 'acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for data centers or data processing facilities,' running through 2027-01-01 (with the possibility of further extension if a zoning text amendment is not finished by then). This went against the Planning Board's recommendation of a full one-year moratorium.
• Outcome: City planning staff to return with a zoning text amendment after January 1, 2027

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

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-31, Board of Commissioners unanimous approval at a special meeting after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-31 (exact)
• Duration: Six months (to about 2027-02-28); staff had suggested up to 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-mcdowell-county-2026-2
• Legal basis: McDowell County data center moratorium (number not located), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Water consumption, grid demand, noise, air pollution and health concerns; county wants development standards before any project
• Affected projects: None; no project approved or pending.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; six-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-31 while staff and the planning board draft rules. Separate from the county's 2023 cryptocurrency-mining moratorium (row nc-mcdowell-county-2026, replaced).
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium adopted.

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.

Nash County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-08, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption after a public hearing (hearing set by resolution 2026-08-03)
• Normalized date: 2026-09-08 (exact)
• Duration: Until 2027-06-30 or earlier adoption of new zoning regulations
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-nash-county-2026
• Legal basis: Nash County temporary development moratorium ordinance on data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining and similar high-impact uses in unincorporated areas (number not located)
• What prompted it: Electricity demand, water use, noise, environmental effects, e-waste and land-use compatibility; zoning lacks standards
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; effective immediately on 2026-09-08 and in place until 2027-06-30 or earlier adoption of zoning regulations; applies to unincorporated Nash County.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted through June 30, 2027.

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: —

Pasquotank County (solar)

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, Board of Commissioners vote to implement a 12-month moratorium on new solar farm construction
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (to about 2027-07-20)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: solar
• Moratorium ID: nc-pasquotank-county-solar-2026
• Legal basis: Pasquotank County solar farm moratorium (instrument number not located)
• What prompted it: Commissioners want to reduce the maximum solar farm acreage (currently 15,000 acres) and update UDO solar standards
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium on new solar farms adopted 2026-07-20 while the UDO solar provisions are revised. Confirmed by the Daily Advance (Pasquotank's paper of record), which directly reports the July 20 commissioners' vote and distinguishes it from the county's separate May 2026 data-center moratorium (nc-pasquotank-county-2026). Ordinance/resolution number still not located.
• Outcome: 12-month solar moratorium; UDO revision under way.

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: 2026-06-01, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption of a 60-day moratorium on data center development requests (per June 1, 2026 minutes); extended 2026-07-20 by ordinance through and including 2028-07-20
• Normalized date: 2026-06-01 (exact)
• Duration: Initially 60 days (from 2026-06-01); extended 2026-07-20 through and including midnight 2028-07-20 unless earlier terminated or modified
• Current end date: 2028-07-20
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-surry-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for Data Centers and Related High-Impact Facilities in All Areas Subject to Surry County Zoning Authority and Jurisdiction (adopted 2026-06-01, unnumbered); extended by the Ordinance Extending the Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for Data Centers (adopted 2026-07-20, unnumbered), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• 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: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 and set to expire 2028-07-20. The county's Development Services moratorium page and the posted July 20, 2026 extension ordinance confirm the extension; a data center steering committee is advising the Board.
• 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, cryptocurrency mining
• 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, cryptocurrency mining
• 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 Cary

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-27, Town Council unanimous adoption of an ordinance establishing a temporary 18-month moratorium after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-27 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months (to about 2028-02-27); staff schedule targets a Council decision on a permanent ordinance in February 2028
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-cary-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Establishing a Temporary 18-month Moratorium on the Acceptance, Processing, and Approval of Development Applications for Data Centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and associated uses in Cary's planning jurisdiction (N.C.G.S. 160D-107); ordinance number not located
• What prompted it: Cary's Land Development Ordinance does not define data centers; concerns about electricity demand, cooling water, generator and cooling noise, stormwater, tree canopy and air quality
• Affected projects: None named; Cary hosts some smaller data center operations.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 18-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-27, running to about 2028-02-27, while staff conduct technical studies, community engagement and regional coordination.
• Outcome: 18-month moratorium; ordinance hearing anticipated October 2027 and Council decision February 2028.

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 Elizabethtown

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Proposed; legislative hearing and consideration of a one-year moratorium ordinance held 2026-06-15; outcome not located
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Proposed one year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-elizabethtown-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Code of Ordinances amendment: temporary moratorium on development approvals for data centers under G.S. 160D-107 (draft ordinance posted June 2026)
• What prompted it: Evaluate infrastructure capacity, land-use impacts and regulatory needs
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Pending/unknown as of 2026-09-23: the June 15, 2026 council agenda included the public hearing and 'Ordinance Consideration' for a one-year data center moratorium, but no minutes (June minutes not yet posted) or news report of the outcome were found, and the statewide tracker does not list Elizabethtown. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Outcome of the June 15 consideration unknown.

Town of Farmville

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03, Board of Commissioners unanimous approval of a 12-month moratorium after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (to about 2027-08-03)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-farmville-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Farmville data center moratorium ordinance (number not located), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Residents opposed a potential data center concept presented by East Energy Renewables; town lacks standards for such uses
• Affected projects: Data center concept presented by East Energy Renewables at a February 2026 budget workshop.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-03 (to about 2027-08-03) while staff develop ordinance standards.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium; staff reviewing ordinance language.

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 Garner

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-19, Town Council unanimous adoption of Ordinance No. (2026) 5383
• Normalized date: 2026-05-19 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months: begins 2026-05-19 and lasts until 2027-05-18 or earlier approval of UDO amendments
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-garner-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. (2026) 5383, An Ordinance Instituting a Temporary Moratorium on the Permitting and Issuance of Development Approvals for Data Centers, Data Processing Facilities, Cryptocurrency Mining Operations and Similar Uses, N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: UDO does not define data centers, data processing facilities or cryptocurrency mining; town needs time to study impacts and draft standards
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; in effect until 2027-05-18 or earlier adoption of UDO amendments. The town reissued a public reminder about the moratorium in September 2026.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium; staff to study impacts for 4-6 months then propose UDO text amendments.

Town of Highlands

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-20, Town Board approval of a temporary data center moratorium ordinance after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-20 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months per the statewide tracker (to about 2027-08-20)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-highlands-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Highlands temporary moratorium ordinance on data centers, cryptocurrency mining and other high-intensity computing facilities (number not located)
• What prompted it: Town wants zoning to prevent high-impact computing uses; follows Macon County's data center ordinance changes
• Affected projects: None.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; moratorium approved 2026-08-20; the planning board is reviewing data center regulations. Confirmed by the Highlander (Highlands' local paper), which headlined the town board's approval, and corroborated by a Macon County official's Sept. 14 reference to it. Ordinance number still not located.
• Outcome: Temporary moratorium adopted; planning board review under way.

Town of Hildebran

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24, Town Council unanimous vote
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (to about 2027-08-24)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-hildebran-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Hildebran data center moratorium (number not located); adopted after the town's March 2026 permanent data center zoning regulations
• What prompted it: DigiPower X plans an AI data center campus (about 75 MW in 2029 and 75 MW in 2030) on ~40 acres near a switchyard; residents petitioned for a pause
• Affected projects: DigiPower X AI data center campus proposal (~150 MW).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-24, pausing the proposed DigiPower X project while the council studies the industry.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted despite earlier zoning rules.

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: 2027-05-27
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-hillsborough-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 20260527-5.A (initial 60-day term, adopted 2026-05-27); extended by Ordinance #20260622-5.A, adopted 3-0 on 2026-06-22 after a public hearing, through May 27, 2027 or earlier adoption of UDO data center standards and utility-extension amendments
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-05-27 (or earlier adoption of UDO data center rules). Applies in town limits, the extraterritorial jurisdiction and the 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: begins 2026-06-17 and lasts until 2027-06-16 or earlier adoption of UDO amendments
• Current end date: 2027-06-16
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-holly-springs-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-19 (up to 12-month moratorium on acceptance, processing and approval of development applications for data centers, cryptocurrency mining, data processing and associated uses in town limits and ETJ), adopted unanimously 2026-06-16 under N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• 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 2026-09-23 through 2027-06-16 (or earlier UDO amendments); applies in town and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The Land Use Advisory Committee is reviewing staff research toward UDO amendments.
• Outcome: —

Town of Hot Springs

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-13, Town Board unanimous approval of a one-year moratorium on the Planning Board's recommendation
• Normalized date: 2026-07-13 (exact)
• Duration: One year (to about 2027-07-13)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-hot-springs-2026
• Legal basis: Town Board moratorium pausing special use applications for data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, server farms and high-density digital infrastructure in the town's zoning jurisdiction (instrument number not located)
• What prompted it: Resident concern that the zoning ordinance (updated Nov. 2025) lists data centers and crypto mining as special uses in the M-Industrial district
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium adopted 2026-07-13 (to about 2027-07-13); no repeal found. Confirmed by Asheville Citizen-Times coverage (Madison County's regional paper of record), which reports the July 13 unanimous town board vote in detail. Ordinance number still not located.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium while the town reviews its zoning ordinance.

Town of Mayodan

• Type: Town
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2026-05-11, Town Council unanimous (5-0) adoption, after a public hearing, of two ordinances establishing temporary moratoria on development approvals for data centers and other high-impact facilities and for solar energy systems
• Normalized date: 2026-05-11 (exact)
• Duration: 60 days from adoption (to about 2026-07-10) unless repealed or extended; ended early when permanent text amendments were adopted 2026-06-08
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, solar
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-mayodan-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for Data Centers and Other High-Impact Facilities, and Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Development Approvals for Certain Solar Energy Systems (both unnumbered), N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Zoning ordinance had no definitions or standards for data centers, AI processing, cryptocurrency mining or large-scale solar; a 1-million-square-foot data center was under construction in a neighboring town
• Affected projects: None named; a 1-million-square-foot data center under construction in a neighboring town prompted the action.
• Detailed status: Replaced 2026-06-08; Town Council unanimously adopted Text Amendments TA-002-2026 (Data Processing Facilities) and TA-003-2026 (Solar Energy Facilities), which ended the 60-day moratoria (TBJ: 'Mayodan sets zoning rules for data centers, will lift moratorium').
• Outcome: Replaced by zoning text amendments TA-002-2026 and TA-003-2026 adopted 2026-06-08.

Town of Nashville

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-04, Town Council adoption of Ordinance 2026-23 after a public hearing (hearing set July 22; moratorium runs from July 23)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-04 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months: begins 2026-07-23 and lasts until 2027-07-23 or earlier approval of new zoning regulations
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-nashville-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-23, temporary moratorium on data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations and similar uses, N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Chapter 18 land use regulations do not define data centers or crypto mining; concerns about electrical demand, water use and land-use compatibility
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-07-23 (or earlier adoption of zoning regulations).
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted.

Town of Newport

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: September 2026 (reported 2026-09-16), Town Council approval of a temporary moratorium; exact meeting date not located
• Normalized date: 2026-09 (month_only)
• Duration: At least one year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-newport-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Newport moratorium on data centers, data processing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations and associated uses in town limits and ETJ (ordinance number not located)
• What prompted it: UDO does not address data centers; comprehensive UDO rewrite under way
• Affected projects: None; no active proposals.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium approved in mid-September 2026 while the UDO is rewritten.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted.

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 Waxhaw

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-11, Board of Commissioners unanimous adoption of Ordinance ORD2026014 after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months: commences 2026-08-11 and expires no later than 2027-08-10, or earlier by Board action
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-waxhaw-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance ORD2026014, An Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of development applications for data centers, cryptocurrency mining, data storage and processing and related telecommunications infrastructure, N.C.G.S. 160D-107
• What prompted it: Land development code does not address data centers; proactive pause (no proposals pending) to study and draft amendments
• Affected projects: None; no proposals pending.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium in effect through 2027-08-10 unless ended earlier.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium while the town drafts land development code amendments.

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: 2026-12-31
• 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 as of 2026-09-23; runs through 2026-12-31 or until updated data center and cryptocurrency mining regulations are adopted. WUNC's Sept. 16, 2026 Triangle roundup lists it as in force and expiring at the end of December 2026.
• Outcome: Pending. Town will study impacts and prepare regulations.

Town of Whitakers

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Date not located; reported in September 2026 as having instituted a data center moratorium
• Normalized date: 2026-06-01 (unverified)
• Duration: Unknown
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-town-of-whitakers-undated
• Legal basis: Town of Whitakers data center moratorium (instrument not located)
• What prompted it: Regional Nash/Edgecombe effort to study data center impacts
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; per Whitakers Town Clerk Tamica Gray (Rocky Mount Telegram, Aug. 2026), the town instituted a data center pause effective June 1, 2026. No ordinance document, instrument number, or duration/term has been located; this remains a secondhand (clerk-quoted) source, not a primary document. [VERIFY instrument number; term/duration; primary source (ordinance text) still not located]
• Outcome: Moratorium reported.

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: —

Vance County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-14, Board of Commissioners 5-2 vote (Kelly and Perry opposed) after public hearings; effective on adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-09-14 (exact)
• Duration: 60 days: terminates 2026-11-13 or upon adoption of an amendment to the zoning ordinance's data center requirements
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-vance-county-2026
• Legal basis: Vance County 60-day data center moratorium (number not located), N.C.G.S. 160D-107; the legal notice advertised 60 days, so a 6-month motion was ruled out of order
• What prompted it: Natelli Holdings filed a preliminary plan for a 900 MW, 12-building data center campus on ~530 acres along U.S. 158 while the county revises its UDO data center rules
• Affected projects: Natelli Holdings 900 MW data center campus (Technology Lane / U.S. 158).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 60-day moratorium adopted 2026-09-14, ending 2026-11-13 or on adoption of the pending zoning text amendment.
• Outcome: 60-day moratorium pending UDO text amendment.

Warren County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-19, Board of Commissioners approval at its work session after a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-19 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (to about 2027-08-19)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-warren-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on development approvals for data centers and related high-impact facilities (number not located)
• What prompted it: County targeted for its water and land and lacks a data center ordinance
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium adopted 2026-08-19 (to about 2027-08-19).
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted.

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: One year (adopted 2026-04-21; to about 2027-04-21)
• Current end date: 2027-04-21
• 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 as of 2026-09-23; the Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a one-year countywide data center moratorium on 2026-04-21 (to about 2027-04-21). No rescission or replacement found; the county still has not posted 2026 Board minutes online (latest posted minutes are from July 2025).
• Outcome: Pending UDO process; commissioners directed staff to develop comprehensive regulations within the moratorium year.

Yadkin County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-17, Board of Commissioners 5-0 adoption after a public hearing; Commissioner Cliff Collins moved to lengthen the proposed 12-month term to two years
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: Two years (to about 2028-08-17); unincorporated areas only
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: nc-yadkin-county-2026
• Legal basis: Yadkin County data center moratorium ordinance, N.C.G.S. 160D-107 (ordinance number not located)
• What prompted it: Concern over water use, energy demand, farmland and rural character; WhiteFiber announced a potential Yadkinville data center project
• Affected projects: WhiteFiber potential data center project in Yadkinville (inside town limits, not covered).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; two-year moratorium adopted 2026-08-17 applying to unincorporated Yadkin County (not Yadkinville or other towns).
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium adopted.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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