REBIC – City of Statesville Holds Hearing on Data Center Moratorium

From REBIC – 8/11/26

The data center controversy continues to make the rounds. On August 10, Statesville City Council Meeting – 56:06, the Statesville City Council held a hearing on a proposed 150-day Data Center Moratorium. City leaders chose to hold a hearing after it determined its current code is outdated and inadequate in addressing current conditions.

During the course of the hearing, several residents came forward seeking a longer-term pause on activity and the Council moved to extend the time period for consideration to 180 days.

Following lengthy testimony, the Council passed the ordinance on first reading and will hold a subsequent vote on September 14th. On that date, we expect the institution of the 180-day moratorium to pass.

Rob’s Take: Similar hearings and discussions have happened throughout our region and around the country as many municipalities realize their codes and regulations need to be updated. Concern is natural when our understanding of a technology is limited causing us to pause and pull back. Having said that, I am hopeful that staff and stakeholders will use the time wisely and develop a regulatory framework that allows the data center to move forward. In my opinion, we need to work fast to create a good framework for vetting approvals. If we don’t decide how we’re going to control our own data, it will be controlled elsewhere by others. Our hope is the big picture stays in focus for our leaders.