Just days after Durham city leaders voted to extend a moratorium on new data centers and cryptocurrency mining through May 2027, Durham County commissioners unanimously approved changes Monday night to local development rules in a move supporters say could make it easier to adopt development moratoriums in the future.
The proposal itself is broader than data centers and does not create a countywide moratorium.
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But the issue drew a packed room and so many speakers that public comment was limited to one minute each as residents and activists tied the change directly to future conversations around data centers and AI-driven growth.
Commissioners approved changes to Durham County’s Unified Development Ordinance tied to development moratoriums.
County leaders emphasized the amendment applies broadly to development decisions and gives local governments more flexibility if they decide future moratoriums are needed.
“This puts us in a proper posture to move forward in the direction that we see fit as a county,” one commissioner said before the vote.
Another commissioner said the amendment gives local governments more authority in a state where local control is often limited.
Much of the public conversation Monday centered on data centers.
WRAL News has covered many towns and counties that have placed moratoriums on data centers, which are home to computers that power AI and require enormous amounts of electricity.
Most recently, the town of Holly Springs approved a one-year pause.
Wake County, Chatham County, Orange County, and Fayetteville all have moratoriums as well.
Supporters of data center development say the projects can bring jobs, tax revenue and investment while supporting technologies many people rely on daily, from cloud storage and streaming to AI tools.
Industry groups and supporters of recent legislation in Raleigh have argued North Carolina should create guardrails to protect existing customers and infrastructure while remaining competitive for economic development.
Outside Monday’s meeting, activists gathered with signs calling for Durham leaders to go further.
Leslie St. Dre with the Stop Data Centers in Durham coalition said activists view the amendment as one step toward stronger restrictions.
“We are fighting for a long data center moratorium so we can get the best protections,” St. Dre told commissioners.
Inside the hearing, speaker after speaker urged county leaders to eventually adopt a county moratorium and raised concerns ranging from water use and electricity demand to future growth.
Charlie Rios, a Durham resident who spoke in support of the amendment, said the change could create more time for communities to evaluate impacts before approving major projects.
“This amendment will open the possibility for the county to adopt longer moratoriums on a variety of issues,” Rios said. “It’s important that we slow down and do the sufficient research.”
Some speakers pushed not only for a pause on new projects but also raised questions about future expansion of existing data centers.
One speaker urged county leaders to consider whether existing facilities could increase capacity and what impacts that could have on water use and electric demand.
Not everyone calling for more planning opposed data centers outright.
Jeremy Sims said he believes data infrastructure is needed, but worries communities are not thinking far enough ahead.
“I feel like we just keep using water without thinking what it’s going to be like in 10, 20 years,” Sims said.
He said concerns extend beyond water.
“There’s everything from space, noise … what do they want the future of our cities to look like development-wise?” Sims said. “There’s water concerns, there’s power concerns.”
The conversation in Durham reflects a broader trend statewide.
More than two dozen North Carolina communities have adopted moratoriums or zoning restrictions tied to data center development as local leaders weigh economic opportunity against questions about infrastructure demand and future growth.
Last week, Durham city leaders extended the city’s moratorium on new data centers and cryptocurrency mining to 12 months while they study potential impacts and consider future rules.
County commissioners emphasized Monday’s vote does not establish a moratorium. Any future proposal to pause development — including one tied to data centers — would require separate action.