The Lumberton City Council in North Carolina approved an ordinance on November 9, 2026, that sets rules for future data center development in the city, WPDE reported. The ordinance does not approve any specific facility, and the article did not report a vote tally.
Under the rules, data centers may only be built in the Southeast Crossroads Industrial Park near Interstates 74 and 95. About 100 acres remain available there, which officials described as enough for one small-scale data center. A facility of that kind would have an initial power demand of about 20 MW with potential expansion to 50 MW, and could use about 52,000 gallons of water a day. The ordinance sets no numerical cap on either electricity or water use.
Developers must disclose projected water and electricity use, identify their cooling systems, use water-efficient cooling, and file annual water usage reports. Routine noise is generally limited to 65 decibels at property lines next to residential zoning or homes. The rules also cover buffers, setbacks, environmental protections, and emergency response plans, and allow city inspections. Who pays for infrastructure upgrades remains unresolved.
Deputy City Manager Brandon Love said that without an ordinance, data centers could be classified as warehouses or utility facilities, and the city would be obligated to approve a proposal in certain industrial zones. Councilman John Cantey cited projected city revenue of $4 million to $5 million, which he said still needs verification, and proposed a resident committee to review the ordinance.
Residents who spoke asked the council to delay the vote, raised public health concerns, and called for transparency. Officials said three companies have expressed interest, none has been selected, and no incentives are being offered.
Source: WPDE -- https://wpde.com/news/local/lumberton-city-council-approves-data-center-regulations-despite-opposition