CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council is weighing whether to extend a pause on new data center projects in Charlotte, N.C., and scheduled a public hearing on Monday night about the future of data centers in the city.
The 150-day moratorium, which halts new data center development, expires Nov. 5. The council is considering extending the pause on the projects and expects a final vote on the extension by the end of the month, giving members a few weeks to settle the question before the current freeze runs out.
Residents in east Charlotte have been among the loudest voices on the issue. A group of neighbors there is urging the city to keep the freeze in place for another year. Their concern centers on a proposed 40,000-square-foot data center on Hood Road, which sits in the middle of a largely residential area.
A city task force studied data centers and potential concerns during the pause, including noise and water and energy use. One resident who served on that task force has argued that a great deal of work remains and that the city should extend the moratorium until it can develop policies to address possible harms. That resident also launched a webpage this week where neighbors can review timelines, key points and research tied to the first 75 day learning period of the moratorium.
Charlotte operates under a council-manager form of government, with a mayor and seven district representatives on the Charlotte City Council setting policy. Rob Harrington is the 60th Mayor of Charlotte, appointed by City Council on June 22, 2026, to fill the unexpired term after Mayor Vi Lyles resigned.
The hearing was billed as the final public hearing on a possible moratorium extension before council members take up the vote later this month.
