Raleigh City Council Votes 7-1 to Pause Major Data Center Applications for Six Months
Raleigh is a city in Wake County, North Carolina. According to local outlet DoRaleigh and commercial real estate publication Bisnow, the Raleigh City Council voted 7-1 at its October 6, 2026 meeting to approve a six-month temporary moratorium on major data center applications, giving the city time to study the impacts of large data centers and develop regulations.
The moratorium pauses new development approvals for proposed data centers of 10,000 square feet or larger that use more than 5 megawatts of electricity, while minor or vested projects are not affected. Deputy City Attorney Jennifer Ashton told the council the moratorium runs from October 6, 2026 through April 6, 2027, or until new regulations are adopted, whichever comes first. The council added a technical clarification exempting state properties under NCGS 160D-913.
The city's anticipated schedule: draft amendments available for public comment on November 16, 2026; Planning Commission meetings on December 8 and January 12; a Planning Commission report to the council on February 2, 2027; a council public hearing on March 2, 2027; and final council action on April 6, 2027, the scheduled end of the moratorium.
Council Member Christina Jones cast the lone vote against the moratorium, saying six months wasn't long enough. During the hearing, many residents pushed for a 32-month pause. "Six months is not enough," said Kris Anne Bonifacio, public information officer at North Carolina State Parks. "By contrast, the town of Cary issued an 18-month moratorium in August. As the county seat and capital of our state, Raleigh should be leading the charge in taking actions that protect our communities."
Bisnow reports there are 321 active data center moratoriums nationwide, according to Interconnect Capital's tracker, as residents push back over concerns about water and power usage, electricity costs and potential community displacement. In North Carolina, most of Wake County plus Durham, Orange, Chatham and Harnett counties also have active data center moratoriums.
At the same meeting, the council also decided several rezoning cases and unanimously approved contracts advancing the planned Crabtree Creek greenway bridge. (Sources: DoRaleigh, Bisnow; Date: October 6, 2026; Location: Raleigh, North Carolina)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 罗利市中心天际线，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons，作者 Abhiram Juvvadi）
- 2026-10-05Raleigh City Council Approves Six-Month Data Center Moratorium
- 2026-10-11Raleigh City Council Votes 7-1 to Pause Major Data Center Applications for Six MonthsThis story
