Orange County leaders consider pause on new data-center projects
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As data centers expand across the Triangle, Orange County leaders are considering their next move.
Officials say there will be no final decision Tuesday night, but leaders will meet to discuss whether to officially pause new data-center projects for one year.
In a presentation, leaders said only a few areas are suited for data centers, and more study is needed before moving ahead.
The data facilities store and process massive amounts of information and require large amounts of water and power. Some residents say they worry about the strain.
"I feel like it would be very destructive," Darlene Wells said. "It would be costly to our community."
Orange County has seen rapid growth, up more than 40% between 2023 and 2024.
"It used to be a whole small town, and it's not so small anymore," Wells said.
Nearby communities, including Apex and in Chatham County have paused new projects, but Person County and Wake County are moving forward.
Microsoft is building a new data center in Person County, while Siemens announced on Tuesday that 350 data center-related jobs across two Wake County towns would support data-center growth during the next three years.
"The Triangle is a very fruitful area for data-center development," Brian Dula, Siemens USA's President of Electrification and Automation, said. "How they interface with utilities, and the overall regulatory environment, certainly has to improve over time."
Orange County leaders may set a public hearing in April to consider a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data-center projects.
