According to a recent Gallup poll, 71 percent of Americans would oppose the construction of a data center in their community, largely due to concerns over potential environmental impacts, quality of life, and energy affordability. This strong public opposition has left state lawmakers scrambling to regulate new and existing data centers, even in states with low energy prices.
In North Carolina—where the residential cost of electricity is about 13.8 percent lower than the national average—the state Senate is currently considering the Ratepayer Protection Act. This bill would likely increase the cost of data center development in the Tar Heel State by requiring every data center proposal with a peak monthly demand of "100 megawatts or greater" to include noise assessments for schools and homes "within 500 feet" of the project, and force developers to implement more expensive cooling systems within their facilities.
