City Council Public Hearing on Data Center Moratorium – August 17, 2026

The Greensboro City Council held a public hearing on August 17, 2026, to discuss a proposed 120-day moratorium on hyperscale data center development and related ordinance. The meeting began with a recusal request from Mayor Pro Tem Denise Roth and featured extensive public testimony from over 30 speakers, the majority calling for a longer 32-month moratorium. Due to the number of speakers and a scheduled Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the council recessed the hearing to the following day.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were considered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gary Canton – Opposed data centers, citing increased electric rates by Duke Energy, harm from social media and AI, surveillance concerns (Palantir), and minimal job creation. Described data centers as an insufficient economic benefit.
• Margaret Rowlett (Guilford Clean Power Now / Protect Guilford County) – Thanked council for supporting a moratorium but requested a 32-month moratorium to allow meaningful public participation. Criticized 120 days as insufficient and urged collaboration with other localities.
• Christina Ferguson (District 3) – Supported a 32-month moratorium, advocated for changes to NDA rules requiring signatures from manager, mayor, and all council members, outlined concerns about water usage, and referenced other counties’ policies.
• Esther Jacque (College Dale, District 4) – Warned about water consumption and cooling needs of data centers, urged protections for municipal water system, including resource adequacy verification, a first-hour ordinance, conditional use permits, and infrastructure cost liability. Argued 32 months needed.
• Jack Flowers (District 2, small business owner) – Favored a longer moratorium due to risks to first responders from toxic semiconductors in AI data centers, noise, and pollution. Called for learning from other communities and a 32-month period.
• Gretchen Abbott (District 5, Copford for All) – Addressed air pollution from diesel backup generators, requested location requirements, air quality transparency, and accountability. Emphasized balancing economic development with resident protections.
• Rebecca Narciso (Party for Socialism and Liberation) – Opposed data centers, saying they harm black and brown communities, provide no jobs or infrastructure, and deplete water and energy resources.
• Jack Covington (Party for Socialism and Liberation, UNCG student) – Opposed data centers, citing pollution, utility rate hikes (Duke Energy 16% increase), surveillance, and negative effects on marginalized communities. Demanded a 32-month moratorium.
• Del Stone – Criticized city council for past approval of an incentive for Impact Data (a data center company with only two employees and no built project). Called the 120-day moratorium performative and urged firm restrictions, including expanded existing ordinances.
• Jason Hicks – Demanded a 32-month moratorium, arguing that council has used “we need more time” for other issues but now claims 120 days is enough. Referenced the 47-month-old “data center disaster” (Dream Center) and called for a serious moratorium.
• Sarah Bruve – Played audio of noise from a hyperscale data center in Michigan, describing constant humming and vibration, and opposed building such facilities near homes.
• Aiden Lawrence (UNCG grad, Protect Guilford County) – Advocated for a 32-month moratorium, citing lack of public resources before the hearing. Called for a public-led steering committee, multiple hearings, environmental justice studies, and strong conditions on water use and transparency.
• Sarah Monseller (Greensboro Revolutionary Socialists) – Opposed data centers due to noise pollution, citing health effects (stress, hearing damage, increased blood pressure) and property value declines. Urged zoning and noise ordinances with longer setbacks.
• William Meanis (District 4) – Shared lessons from Virginia, where data centers (505 total, 134 hyperscale) have caused public outcry and led to water use taxes. Advocated for 32-month moratorium to avoid similar problems.
• George Hartzman (Public Integrity Watch) – Opposed data centers, highlighting Greensboro’s position on a watershed and rising utility costs. Criticized past council decisions (parking deck, water/sewer extensions) and questioned judgment on development.
• Bridget Raspberry – Supported a moratorium but argued 120 days is insufficient for community input, given upcoming holidays and elections. Raised concerns about closed-loop cooling using PFAS and wastewater system strain. Referenced Loudoun County’s water use tax and incentive reversals.
• Ashley Buffa (musician) – Opposed 120-day moratorium as political theater, called for a longer moratorium (32 months), and asked council to use all legal tools to make data centers difficult to build.
• Del Ward (founder of Voice for Orange County) – Criticized council for not doing more, called for a full ban on data centers, and argued that council has authority to restrict industries. Disparaged council’s priorities.
• Caroline Kosher (UNCG 2023 graduate) – Expressed disappointment in the 120-day moratorium, citing public health and environmental risks. Argued council has power under zoning laws. Referenced Greensboro’s history of sit-ins and urged council to act justly.
• James Cash (IT expert, homeowner) – Opposed hyperscale data centers, citing financial losses in the AI industry ($1.5 trillion invested vs. $183 billion profit), high water usage (500,000 gallons/day in Georgia), e-waste, and tax incentives that burden locals. Offered free expertise.
• Sebastian Delcampo (UNCG computer science senior) – Supported a moratorium to establish foundations, not necessarily against data centers. Suggested exploring ethical data centers with renewable energy and community benefits.
• Tara Waterson (District 5) – Advocated for 32-month moratorium due to water quality concerns, citing a recent sewer overflow (165,000 gallons), PFAS contamination, and stressed infrastructure. Demanded strict reporting and monitoring.
• Caitlin Grinnell (Piedmont Priad DSA) – Thanked council for starting the moratorium but argued 120 days is insufficient compared to a college senior thesis project. Criticized the 4 p.m. meeting time for working people. Demanded 32-month moratorium.
• Ambrose Key (NC A&T student) – Asked council not to rush, noting his personal asthma history linked to environmental pollution. Called for 32-month moratorium for community input and safeguards, particularly for East Greensboro and children.
• Courtney McSwain (Protect Guilford County) – Supported a 32-month moratorium to allow thorough study of environmental health, racial justice, utility costs, and impacts from other jurisdictions. Called for a publicly-led research committee.
• Robin Conlinger (Greensboro Revolutionary Socialists) – Summarized multiple concerns: environmental harm, disproportionate effects on Districts 1 & 2, Duke Energy rate hikes, AI harms, and surveillance. Demanded 32-month moratorium and criticized council ignoring working class.
• Damien Williams (Greensboro Branch NAACP) – Initially supported 120 days but after hearing testimony, backed 32 months. Called data centers a “Trojan horse” causing heat domes, water consumption, and power consolidation. Expressed faith in council but demanded follow-through.
• Mark Cummings (attorney, resident 45 years) – Praised council diversity and several members’ questioning, urged public to hold council accountable. Warned that faith without works is dead and if council fails, they will be removed.
• Joseph Pisco (Greensboro native, former Republican) – Strongly against data centers, described environmental degradation at Horsepen Creek, and opposed Flock cameras and surveillance. Demanded a ban, not just a moratorium.
• Susan Kratz – Raised concerns about abandoned data centers, future decommissioning costs, Duke Energy profits, affordability, and whether AI will be profitable. Called for 32-month moratorium.
• Billy Belcher (District 2) – Believed the process was predetermined and 120 days inadequate. Referenced Greensboro’s civil rights history and suggested extra-legal measures if needed.
• Marnie Thompson (District 5) – Supported 32-month moratorium due to complexity of technical trade-offs and lack of transparent data from the industry. Discussed potential instability in AI business model (GPU burnout, backwards incompatibility) and urged waiting for full research.
• Michelle Kennedy – Addressed tools available to council such as zoning, noise ordinances, water use regulations, and setbacks. Advocated for a substantial moratorium (32 months) with racial equity analysis. Cautioned against disproportionate burdens on marginalized communities.
• Cheryl McIver – Defended council’s scheduling constraints, clarified state-owned property (Gateway Research Park, NC A&T/UNCG) is beyond city control. Requested council bring those institutions to the table. Emphasized fixing existing infrastructure first.
• Danny Giles – Called 120 days unacceptable, argued it sends a message that council hopes the issue goes away. Cited lack of time for a public-led steering committee. Said “we can’t” is not acceptable, demanded 32-month moratorium.

Discussion Items

• Recusal Request – Mayor Pro Tem Denise Roth requested recusal from votes on the data center moratorium and ordinance due to her board membership at Gateway Research Park, where the Dream Center is planned. She stated there is no actual conflict but requested recusal to avoid perception of conflict. Council unanimously approved the recusal.
• Clarifying Questions on Dream Center – Councilmember Black asked the City Attorney about the status of the Dream Center (site plan expired July 2025, land zoned public/institution, water feasibility study from 2001, no city approval for a data center, only an incentive resolution with a December 2026 deadline). The City Attorney confirmed that a new site plan would be required.
• Council Discussion – No substantive debate beyond the recusal motion was recorded before the public hearing began.

Key Outcomes

• Recusal Approved – Motion to allow Denise Roth to recuse herself from data center moratorium and ordinance votes passed by voice vote (Councilmembers Black, Allen, Holston, Thurm, Crawford, Marshall, Parker, plus Roth remotely).
• Public Hearing Recessed – Due to the number of speakers and a fixed stop time (5:45 PM for Planning and Zoning meeting), the council voted unanimously to recess the public hearing and reconvene on August 18, 2026, at 5:30 PM. Speakers who had already spoken were not required to return; those signed up but not heard could speak the next day without re-registering.
• No Final Decisions – No vote on the moratorium’s length or ordinance content occurred during this session. The public hearing was continued to the next day.