Southport moratorium adds to growing debate over data center growth

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The Southport Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a 15-month moratorium on new data center approvals Thursday, giving the city time to develop rules and regulations for the facilities.

Mayor Joe Pat Hatem said the moratorium will give the city more control over where data centers could be built and provide clear guidelines for future proposals.

“The main thing is that it gives us guidelines,” Hatem said. “If someone wants to do one of these, it gives us guidelines. The city would have control, this board would have control, of where they would go.”

The decision comes as other communities in Brunswick County, including Leland and Shallotte, have also put moratoriums on data centers.

The debate over data centers has also expanded beyond local governments and into state politics.

Republican state Sen. Michael Lee and Democratic challenger Jessica Bichler discussed the issue earlier this month during the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Power Breakfast.

Lee said it is important for North Carolina to maintain reliable energy for businesses while considering the growth of data centers.

“It’s important to have stable, dispatchable energy, which is important to our employers like Corning, GE and others. We need to make sure we protect that energy as well,” Lee said.

Bichler raised concerns about the state’s approach to investing in areas such as education and law enforcement without what she described as sufficient data to demonstrate their effectiveness and safety.

“We’re investing on the state level, in our classrooms, and our law enforcement, without really having the statistical data to prove their efficiencies and safety,” Bichler said.

Lee and Bichler’s comments came as data centers and artificial intelligence technology become increasingly prominent issues in local and state politics.

UNCW political science professor Aaron King said the debate could attract more attention from voters.

“They could have lots of economic impact and for some voters that might be valuable,” King said. “For other candidates, they may emphasize the potential environmental impacts, which will have different impact on other voters.”

Southport’s moratorium gives city officials 15 months to work on regulations before considering new data center approvals.