Upcoming Hearings!
JUNE 3rd Stop Duke Energy Rate Hike Rally and Hearing:
Let's stop Duke Energy's rate hikes (much of which are tied to data center development) at the Drag Down Our Electricity Bills Rallywith Clean Water NC and many others!
5:30pm - Rally & Drag Show
7pm - Hearing begins. Give public comment!
JUNE 9TH AT 5:30pm Planning Commission Hearing, Council Chambers, Durham City Hall:
The Planning Commission will have a public hearing on a text amendment to delete the city's restrictions on development moratoria, so that Durham is no longer limited to 12 months. (We expect the commission to approve of this, but we still hope some people turn out to give public comment in support of the amendment.)
JUNE 15TH at 7pm, Durham City Council's Final Vote On A Data Center Moratorium, Council Chambers, Durham City Hall:
City Council will vote to approve the text amendment deleting local restrictions on moratoria, and they will vote on a new, longer data center moratorium. We are staying strong in our demand for the 32-month maximum length (which has been upheld in the Supreme Court) and one without loopholes! Turn out to support and give public comment!
JUNE 22nd 7pm, Durham County Commissioner's Hearing on Data Center Regulations, County Courthouse, 200 East Main:
County Commissioners will continue discussing a data center moratorium or other regulations. Again, we'll demand the longest, strongest moratorium for the county as well: 32-months without loopholes, and the strongest permanent protections. Turn out to support and give public comment!
(Note: this is expected not yet published on an agenda. Check this site again closer to the date for full details!)
We deserve the strongest and longest moratorium NOW without any industry loopholes, as well as permanent protections to stop Big Tech, Dirty Energy, and for-profit developers from running and ruining our lives and futures. Big Tech's AI and their data centers running this technology are worsening inequality, depleting our water sources, driving climate change, driving up our electric bills, surveilling every aspect of our lives, assisting ICE detentions and US/Israeli genocide, and poisoning our air, water, environment, and bodies. Enough is enough! Our lives, homes, and communities are not for sale!!!
More info:
For public comment, you normally get 2-3 minutes to speak. You can call the clerk's office if you have questions 919-560-4166. For more info on providing comments virtually, sending in written comments, and ways to watch the city meeting, visit: bit.ly/durham-city-hall-info. For the county, visit this page.
Co-sponsoring orgs:
Community Land and Power, Merrick-Moore CDC, UE150, Clean Water NC, Sound Rivers, Toxic Free NC, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Mothers* For Ceasefire, Southerners On New Ground, Durham Art Guild, Carolina Jews For Justice - Durham/Orange County, Jewish Voice For Peace - Triangle NC, Sunrise Triangle, Durham Youth Activists, and Moms Clean Air Force
Resources & Toolkits
Talking Points for the Durham Moratorium on Data Centers and Crypto Mining
Organizer Guide: The Costs of Data Centers in Our Community–And How To Fight Back by Kairos and Media Justice
The People Say NO: Resisting Data Centers Toolkit by Media Justice
AI Data Centers: Big Tech's Impact on Electric Bills, Water, and More by Consumer Reports
North Star Data Center Policy Toolkit by AI Now
Why is this fight vital to everyone in Durham & beyond
Big Tech and AI are running and ruining lives across the U.S. and the world. Those controlling these companies are buying our politicians, shaping the policies we’re forced to live under, worsening inequality and public health, poisoning our environment, depleting our water sources, surveilling every aspect of our lives, and helping ICE, the US war machine and Israel detain and kill people at home and abroad.
In Durham and North Carolina everyone is already paying the Duke Energy monopoly price hikes to run this private and predatory infrastructure, and now they want to raise our rates 18% more!
Together we can stop them in Durham, as we work with partners to stop them in NC and nationwide. There is a growing movement in cities across the US to prohibit hyperscale data centers, crypto mining, and the dangerous AI running on their servers.
We will join the five other cities in NC who have passed a moratorium by passing our own here in Durham, while we work for a more permanent ban locally and statewide.
Sign up for updates!