{"id":3280,"date":"2026-07-14T18:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3280"},"modified":"2026-07-14T18:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:35:15","slug":"york-county-just-okd-data-center-moratorium-its-impact-depends-on-what-comes-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3280","title":{"rendered":"York County just OK\u2019d data center moratorium. Its impact depends on what comes next"},"content":{"rendered":"

York County put a moratorium in place on for data centers<\/a> on Monday. Now, the hard work begins of finding long-term answers for where they should go.<\/p>\n

Read more Dallas Woodhouse resigns from NC auditor\u2019s office after early voting controversies<\/a><\/p>\n

After more than two hours or public input that echoed months of pushback on data center projects<\/a>, York County Council voted unanimously to start a nine-month moratorium. The county will use that time to revamp land use and zoning rules that determine if, when and where data centers can go.<\/p>\n

\u201cA nine-month moratorium on data centers is a good start,\u201d said Rock Hill resident Ron Wathan.<\/p>\n

Residents aired concerns about water and electricity demand, environmental impact, noise, vibration and construction traffic brought on by data centers. Many asked the county to for independent research on data center impacts, rather than accepting information from data center companies in what is a fast-growing but relatively new field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would really be pretty irresponsible and negligent if you just take their word for all the good they\u2019re doing,\u201d Wathan said.<\/p>\n

The moratorium only stops new proposals. York County has one data center in development, the $8 billion QTS facility in Lake Wylie<\/a>. Its construction has led to numerous public comments in recent months from people asking county elected officials to limit or stop new projects.<\/p>\n

The council approved a tax incentive agreement for QTS<\/a> three years ago, setting the Kansas-based company up to build on 360 acres along Campbell Road and Hands Mill Highway. In December, the company more than doubled its land holdings by purchasing more than 400 acres<\/a> for $26.1 million.<\/p>\n

The company hasn\u2019t stated specific plans for the additional property.<\/p>\n

Data center concerns aren\u2019t confined to York County. Communities across the country are looking into rules as the industry grows. Data centers have gone from overlooked in local ordinances to one of the most debated topics in public hearings.<\/p>\n

Last month, Chester County paused data center projects<\/a> for six months. Some elected officials have discussed a similar review in Lancaster County. Charlotte passed a data center moratorium<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n

Read more NC just ended most parking requirements for developers. Here\u2019s what it could mean.<\/a><\/p>\n

York County Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Dean Faile supports the moratorium. He also supports QTS, which he sees as a model for quality data center development. New development is far different from what it was a decade or more ago, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTechnology is changing rapidly,\u201d Faile said. \u201cTaking the time to study the environmental, infrastructure and energy implications of future projects is responsible government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Data centers are often maligned for creating massive water use that can impact groundwater. The QTS project, though, will use a closed loop system that reuses water after an initial fill. County efforts during the moratorium should create clear expectations, Faile said, for anyone who might look to start a data center project.<\/p>\n

There have been some changes related to data centers since the QTS project, a first of its kind in the county. Last year, at the request of QTS, the county voted to allow taller buildings for data centers<\/a>\u2014up to 80 feet. This spring, the county made preliminary changes to which zoning districts would allow data centers<\/a>, and what would be required to approve one.<\/p>\n

York County Council Chairwoman asked for Monday\u2019s public comments to be transcribed so county staff can address concerns in work during the moratorium. A planning and zoning committee will begin work in August to address concerns, said Councilwoman Debi Cloninger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do have a quite extensive list,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Residents applauded the county decision Monday. What difference the moratorium will make will depend on changes in the coming nine months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019ll become overwhelmingly obvious why the moratorium was necessary,\u201d Wathan said.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 2:30 PM<\/span> with the headline “York County just OK\u2019d data center moratorium. Its impact depends on what comes next.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Sculpting Lu-u-u-ke: Behind the scenes as Kuechly strikes pose for hall of fame<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

York County approved a nine-month moratorium on new data centers to revise zoning, study environmental and infrastructure impacts, and gather community input.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nYork County just OK\u2019d data center moratorium. 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