The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is calling on Orange County to pause new data center development.
The nonprofit organization has long been calling on the state government to issue a moratorium on the controversial industrial developments. The temporary pause would be in effect until the state is able to evaluate what is already in the pipeline and create a coordinated statewide plan for data center development. The plan would include stronger policies and protections, greater transparency and public input, oversight of impacts and protection of residents.
Last week, PEC issued a similar plea to Orange County Supervisors. In an email alert sent Monday, Aug. 24, PEC Senior Land Use Field Representative for Orange and Madison Counties Don McCown encouraged supervisors to issue a temporary pause on the consideration of any new data center application until the state has a plan in place.
“PEC is not opposed to technology or economic growth,” he said. “But the current pace of data center development has outrun every system meant to manage it–the grid, the ratemaking process, local planning and state policy.”
McCown said a pause would allow everyone more time to understand the impacts of data centers, create a stronger technology zoning district ordinance, enhance the comprehensive plan and prevent the county from locking itself into a situation that necessitates greater energy generation such as power lines or pipelines.
Orange County District 4 Supervisor Crystal Coleman officially motioned for a pause on applications the following day at the board of supervisors’ meeting. Her motion, which would have paused all data center applications while the planning commission revisited the highly criticized technology district zoning ordinance, failed for lack of a second.
Following the meeting, Coleman took issue with her fellow supervisors, questioning why they were so hesitant to have the discussion. She said her motion wouldn’t have decided the issue, but a second would have opened the door for discussion.
“I must ask…why was there such discomfort with simply allowing that discussion?,” Coleman asked.
She said while everyone may not always agree, important decisions “deserve more public conversation and less silence, more pause and less speeding ahead.”
The board of supervisors will next meet Sept. 8 at 5 p.m.
 is calling on Orange County to pause new data center development.){kind=link}