On February 11th, 2026, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on data center approvals to ensure the County has the time and information necessary to make well-informed decisions about this rapidly evolving land use. You can access the agenda for that BOC meeting at the following webpage.

Largescale data centers can have significant impacts on infrastructure, water usage, and energy demand. Environmental factors such as noise, air, and water pollution will also be critical to consider.  The moratorium allows staff and decisionmakers the time to thoroughly study best practices, potential impacts, and appropriate standards before any projects are permitted. 

This webpage serves as a central location for the public to access information about data center research and resources in Chatham County. As research, reports, draft ordinance updates, public meeting notices, and other materials become available, they will be posted here so interested parties can stay informed throughout the moratorium.

Chatham County Data Center Moratorium News Article

Data Center Resources

Other local & regional governments, professional organizations, and other entities in North Carolina and across the United States are also doing research and sharing resources about data centers. We've shared some of those resources below and will continue providing those as they become available. 

• Central Pines Regional Council - Data Centers
• Town of Apex - Data Centers Presentation
• American Planning Association - APA Zoning Practice