The Stop Data Centers In Durham Coalition organized residents across the city, and together we've won a 12-month citywide data center moratorium. This is one of the strongest moratoriums for a larger city in the state and much of the country! The city council's vote was unanimous, and we successfully pushed them to include no expansions of existing data centers as part of the moratorium.
There’s more work to do at the county level!
The County Commissioners Lee, Jacobs, Burton, and Valentine have passed the weakest moratorium in the state with a loophole so bad that it actually allows for 100 MW data centers, which is hyperscale and can use 80,000 to 100,000 homes’ worth of energy. On 8/24, all 61 residents who spoke at the county hearing demanded a real moratorium without loopholes. The only voices in support of gutting protections were two corporate lobbyists: one from the RTP Foundation and another from the Chamber of Commerce. All commissioners minus Nida Allam, voted to fulfill the lobbyists’ wishes against the will of the people of Durham.
We’re going to keep the pressure on until they close the loopholes and pass permanent protections strictly regulating AI and data centers across all of Durham!
Upcoming public comment opportunities, Hearings & More
Tuesday, September 8th at 9am; TURN OUT TO DEMAND COMMISSIONERS CLOSE THEIR MORATORIUM LOOPHOLES AND PROTECT DURHAM! Durham County Commissioners’ Work Session, 200 E Main St.
Join us in giving general public comment on the issue! Sign up to speak in person before 9am on 9/8. For virtual comment, submit your full name and address via email or telephone to the Clerk to the Board at clerk@dconc.gov or 919-560-0025. These submissions must be completed by 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 6th. We suggest using "Public Comment 9/8" as the subject line, though they don't specify this. General public comments are at the start of the meeting (9am) and usually end by 9:30am.
DEMANDS: We demand County Commissioners Lee, Jacobs, Burton, and Valentine delete their moratorium’s loopholes allowing large 100,000 sq ft AI data centers without any regulations in place to safeguard Durham! We will not stand for the worst moratorium in the state! We deserve permanent protections from all AI & data center harms!
IMPORTANT CONTEXT: On 8/24, all 61 residents who spoke at the county hearing demanded a real moratorium without loopholes. The only voices in support of gutting protections were two corporate lobbyists: one from the RTP Foundation and another from the Chamber of Commerce. Lee, Jacobs, Burton and Valentine voted to fulfill the lobbyists’ wishes against the will of the people of Durham. Only Commissioner Allam stood firmly against the major carve outs.
How big and bad is the loophole we must close?:
100,000 sq ft is large! A typical Home Depot warehouse is this size and uses about .5 MW of energy. 100,000 sq ft data centers, however, can use 100 MW of energy, enough to power 80,000-100,000 homes!
The major loophole also means all the known harms of AI and data centers remain deregulated. Any developer that submits a permit is allowed to use 24/7 methane gas generators and cause constant noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution, PFAS in our drinking water, job loss, surveillance, and so much more.
Together we can stop them!
Sign the petition or the sign up form on this page to receive updates.
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 regarding public comment: you normally get 2-3 minutes to speak. You can call the clerk's office if you have questions: (919) 560-0025. For more info on providing comments virtually, sending in written comments, and ways to watch the city meeting, visit this page.
CO-SPONSORING ORGS:
7 Directions of Service
Merrick-Moore CDC
Walltown Community Association
Bragtown Community Association
UE 150
NC Black Alliance
Amazon Cause
Durham Association of Educators
Black Men Build NC Triangle
Durham People’s Alliance
Preserve Rural Durham
Community Land and Power
Clean Water NC
Sound Rivers
Toxic Free NC
North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
Mothers* For Ceasefire
Southerners On New Ground
NC Climate Justice Collective
Durham Art Guild
Durham Beyond Policing
NC Triangle Democratic Socialists of America
Carolina Jews For Justice - Durham/Orange County
Jewish Voice For Peace - Triangle NC
Black Abolitionist Directive
Moms Clean Air Force
Sunrise Triangle
Party for Socialism and Liberation Triangle
Socialist Alternative NC Triangle
Durham Youth Activists
350 Triangle
DURHAM COUNTY DESERVES A REAL MORATORIUM! AI AND DATA CENTERS MUST BE STRICTLY REGULATED!
Talking Points for the Durham Moratorium on Data Centers and Crypto Mining
About Data Centers by NCEJN
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
North Star Data Center Policy Toolkit by AI Now
ARTICLES AND REPORTS:
The True Cost of Data Centers (article and documentary), Business Insider
AI Data Centers: Big Tech's Impact on Electric Bills, Water, and More, Consumer Reports
AI’s environmental costs threaten water, land and climate, UN News
US groups tell EPA to reject fast-tracked data center PFAS, warn it would pollute nearby areas
Resources & Toolkits
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 up to 18% more! We have also endured drought conditions and don’t need these companies stealing and poisoning our water.
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 other cities in NC who have passed a moratorium by passing our own to cover ALL of Durham, while we work for a more permanent ban locally and statewide.
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