Guilford County, North Carolina, Commissioners Unanimously Adopt an 18-Month Data Center Moratorium After Shelving a Six-Month Pause

On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina unanimously adopted an 18-month moratorium on data centers, the Rhino Times reported. The period runs from November 5, 2026, through May 5, 2028, and covers acceptance and processing of development applications for new data centers and associated data processing uses in unincorporated Guilford County. The board had shelved a proposed six-month moratorium the month before.

Speakers at the hearings raised heavy electricity consumption, water demand, noise, diesel generators, air pollution and the eventual expense of decommissioning facilities. The county’s agenda materials identify utility capacity, infrastructure, environmental resources, public health and surrounding land uses as subjects for review.