Fact check: NC Senate candidates Woodson Bradley, Stacie McGinn on data centers
The debate over the construction of large data centers is rampant in the Charlotte area and across North Carolina, with municipalities passing moratoriums and polls showing opposition across party lines.
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Candidates on the November ballot are staking out their positions on data centers, including Democratic incumbent state Sen. Woodson Bradley and her Republican challenger, Stacie McGinn. They are running to represent southeast Mecklenburg County’s Senate District 42, in a rematch of their 2024 clash that went into a recount.
Woodson Bradley has been involved with legislation in the state Senate to address data centers. She was the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 844, which would allow municipalities and counties to hold referendums on whether to approve or reject proposed “large load” data centers.
The bill also says companies looking to build large scale data centers would need to get permission from the state Utilities Commission. Under the legislation, getting that permission would require an environmental impact study and that the company mitigate noise pollution and show that the facility won’t lead to high electricity costs for the public.
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Senate Bill 844 has not moved since April, when it was referred to a committee.
Stacie McGinn told The Charlotte Observer she believes municipalities “should individually decide whether data centers make sense for their communities,” weighing concerns about the impact on utility rates, water use, noise and property values against the potential
“State taxpayers should not subsidize data centers, and the General Assembly has already taken measures to eliminate older tax incentives,” she added.
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