Beaufort County NC one-year data center moratorium
Beaufort County, NC — Commissioners Pass One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers 6-1 (October 5, 2026)
Beaufort County, NC · Beaufort County, NC — Commissioners Pass One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers 6-1 (October 5, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- October 5, 2026
- Applies to
- Data center developers and applicants in Beaufort County, NC
- Enforced by
- Beaufort County Board of Commissioners
Beaufort County, North Carolina commissioners passed a one-year moratorium on data centers by a 6-1 vote after a public hearing. During the moratorium the county will not accept, process or approve applications for data centers. Commissioners said they will use the year to study noise and electricity impacts.
Who is protected: Beaufort County, NC residents
Legal detail
Beaufort County (NC) Board of Commissioners — one-year moratorium on data centers (no acceptance, processing or approval of data center applications). Public hearing and vote Monday Oct. 5, 2026 (hearing had been postponed from September); passed 6-1, Commissioner Hood Richardson opposed. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number, stated end date.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Beaufort County, NC |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | October 5, 2026 |
| Citation | Beaufort County, NC — Commissioners Pass One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers 6-1 (October 5, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Beaufort County commissioners holding public hearing & vote on data center moratorium — WITN (Oct. 5, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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