Moratorium tracker
Data center moratoriums in North Carolina
10 moratorium actions in 10 jurisdictions in North Carolina, newest first: 10 adopted, extended or announced. Each entry links to its source.
Is there a data center moratorium in North Carolina?
No statewide pause for North Carolina is in the tracker; the actions on this page are local. Locally, 10 jurisdictions adopted, extended or announced a pause: McDowell County, Town of Cary, Edgecombe County, Durham County, Cumberland County, City of Charlotte, City of Durham, Harnett County, Orange County and Town of Apex. By their own stated length or end date, the pause in City of Durham (60 days, May 4, 2026) has run out unless extended; the tracker has no extension on record.
Statuses are as of each source’s date; check with the jurisdiction before relying on one.
- Moratorium actions
- 10
- Jurisdictions
- 10
- Adopted, extended or announced
- 10
- Rejected, lifted or set aside
- 0
Every tracked North Carolina moratorium
| Jurisdiction | Action | Length | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell County North Carolina · county |
Adopted reported Sep 3, 2026 |
six months | Six-month moratorium on data centers, approved unanimously after a public hearing. WCAB NewsSource excerpt“After the public hearing closed, commissioners voted unanimously for the six-month moratorium.” |
| Town of Cary North Carolina · town |
Adopted Aug 27, 2026 |
18 months | Data center development in the town. WRALSource excerpt“Town council on Aug. 27 unanimously approved an 18-month pause on data center development.” |
| Edgecombe County North Carolina · county |
Adopted Aug 3, 2026 |
two years | Data centers in the county. WRALSource excerpt“On Aug. 3, the Board of Commissioners reversed course, approving a two-year moratorium on data centers.” |
| Durham County North Carolina · county |
Adopted Aug 2026 |
nine months | Nine-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers. WUNCSource excerpt“Durham County commissioners voted 4-1 Monday night to adopt a nine-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers.” |
| Cumberland County North Carolina · county |
Adopted Jun 15, 2026 |
six months until Dec 2026 |
Data centers in the county. WRALSource excerpt“Commissioners adopted a six-month data center moratorium on June 15, which will expire in December.” |
| City of Charlotte North Carolina · city |
Adopted Jun 2026 |
150 days | Moratorium on data center construction (150 days, per the headline). Axios CharlotteSource excerpt“Charlotte City Council unanimously voted to enact the moratorium Monday night.” |
| City of Durham North Carolina · city |
Adopted May 4, 2026 |
60 days | Data center planning and development. WRALSource excerpt“On May 4, city council members passed a 60-day moratorium on data center planning and development.” |
| Harnett County North Carolina · county |
Adopted May 4, 2026 |
12 months | Data centers in the county. WRALSource excerpt“The Board of Commissioners voted on May 4 to adopt a 12-month data center moratorium.” |
| Orange County North Carolina · county |
Adopted Apr 21, 2026 |
one year | Data center construction across the county. WRALSource excerpt“Commissioners voted unanimously on April 21 to establish a one-year pause on data center construction across the county.” |
| Town of Apex North Carolina · town |
Adopted Apr 2026 |
one year until Apr 27, 2027 |
Review or approval of applications for data centers (and associated uses like cryptocurrency mining) until April 27, 2027. INDY WeekSource excerpt“The moratorium prevents Apex from reviewing or approving applications for the development of data centers (along with associated uses like cryptocurrency mining) until April 27, 2027.” |
Dates are the date of the vote or order where the source gives one; otherwise the entry shows when it was reported. Lengths, end dates and scope appear only where the cited source states them. Expand any row for a verbatim excerpt from its source.
Tracked projects in these jurisdictions
| Project | Status | Jurisdiction and action |
|---|---|---|
| New Hill Digital Campus Apex, Wake County, NC | Cancelled | Town of Apex: adopted Apr 2026 |
Matched by county, city or the project a source names. Being inside a jurisdiction with a moratorium does not mean a project is covered; many pauses exempt applications already filed or approved, and a county pause usually leaves incorporated towns free to decide. Where a source states an exemption, it is quoted in the table above.
Moratorium actions in North Carolina project records
| Date | Action | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | Apex Town Council unanimously passes a 12-month moratorium on data centers INDY Week | New Hill Digital Campus Apex, Wake County, NC |
Permanent rules in North Carolina
No North Carolina ordinance or state law written for data centers is in the rules tracker yet.
More on North Carolina
- All 4 tracked projects in North Carolina →
- Data centers in Wake County →
- National moratorium tracker →
- Upcoming hearings →
Other states
New York (8) · Georgia (7) · Indiana (4) · Michigan (4) · Illinois (3) · Maryland (3) · South Carolina (3) · Texas (3) · Wisconsin (3)
North Carolina data center moratoriums: common questions
Is there a data center moratorium in North Carolina?
No statewide pause for North Carolina is in the tracker; the actions on this page are local. Locally, 10 jurisdictions adopted, extended or announced a pause: McDowell County, Town of Cary, Edgecombe County, Durham County, Cumberland County, City of Charlotte, City of Durham, Harnett County, Orange County and Town of Apex. By their own stated length or end date, the pause in City of Durham (60 days, May 4, 2026) has run out unless extended; the tracker has no extension on record. Statuses are as of each source's date; check with the jurisdiction before relying on one.
How many North Carolina communities have paused data centers?
The tracker records 10 local governments in North Carolina that adopted, extended or announced a data center pause. The tracker lists actions confirmed in a published notice or news report, so it is a floor rather than a complete census.
How long do data center moratoriums in North Carolina last?
Where the source states a length, North Carolina pauses run from 60 days (City of Durham) to two years (Edgecombe County).
Which tracked data center projects are in North Carolina jurisdictions with a moratorium?
New Hill Digital Campus. Sitting inside a jurisdiction with a moratorium does not mean a project is covered: many pauses exempt applications already filed or approved, and a county pause usually leaves incorporated towns free to decide.
Know of a North Carolina moratorium we’re missing? Email [email protected] with a link to the official notice or a report.
Cite this page
Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). Data center moratoriums in North Carolina. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/moratoriums/north-carolina |
|---|---|
| MLA | “Data center moratoriums in North Carolina.” Data Center Census, Sep 23, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/moratoriums/north-carolina. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/moratoriums/north-carolina |
Republishing a figure or table? Attribute it to Data Center Census with a link to this page. The underlying data is downloadable as JSON and CSV; the press kit has standing figures and contact details.