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.
A developer has recently submitted an application for “Project Lloyd” a proposed hyperscale data center in the county due to their loophole, and we must organize to stop it as we also organize to pass permanent protections strictly regulating AI and data centers across all of Durham!
Upcoming Events, Hearings & More
OCTOBER 8TH, Join us at 1pm at the Durham City Council Work Session, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701 to urge them to deny water connections to new Durham County data centers and to work with our coalition to pass the strongest long-term protections from AI and data center harms.
Give public comment (during the general comment period at the beginning of the meeting) urging City Council to:
1) stay aligned with their own data center moratorium by refusing to grant city water utility extension agreements to projects like “Project Lloyd”, the 50 MW hyperscale data center development that just applied to come to Durham County. More details.
2) work with the Stop Data Centers In Durham Coalition and other experts to develop the best possible long-term protections from all AI and data center harms. (talking points coming soon)
You must arrive before 1pm to sign up to give public comment. For virtual comments, you must sign up by 10am on October 8th. More info.
OCTOBER 20TH, Join us for another Stop Data Centers In Durham strategy meeting & social! (details coming soon)
Let’s strategize together and win the best permanent protections from AI and data centers for ALL of Durham. We've won a decent citywide moratorium on data centers in Durham. The county passed a much weaker one with massive loopholes that actually allow 100,000 sq ft, 100 MW data centers without regulation.
Both ordinances end in May, but the Planning Department has said they expect to have a draft ready by December. Given they helped draft the county's ordinance, which would allow each new data center in the county to use 80,000-100,000 homes' worth of energy, and they've admitted they don't know how many data centers are already here nor the current impacts of existing infrastructure, we have to unite around winning the best protections without loopholes.
It is crucial that we get this right the first time, given there is a statewide law that prevents "downzoning" or restricting a use that was previously allowed. This means we can't shut down or regulate data centers after they're already approved.
Together we can build our power and ensure all residents and our shared ecosystems are safeguarded for our generation and many to come.
Use the sign up form on this page to receive updates.
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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!!!
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
ALL AI AND DATA CENTERS MUST BE STRICTLY REGULATED!
Resources & Toolkits
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
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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