NC WARN

NC Governor Stein must stop the backroom scheming and lead a moratorium on data centers

NC WARN is calling a flagrant foul against corporate polluters – and state officials – for their use of persistent secrecy and deception in the targeting of communities across North Carolina for noxious data centers and fracked-gas pipelines.

Across the state, data center developers and Duke Energy continue using various tools of secrecy and influence to gain support from local leaders for unwanted projects before the public learns of the plans. Even after basic disclosure, the full extent of negative community impacts remains hidden by those operating in the shadows. 

In a letter sent today, NC WARN repeats our June 25 call for Governor Josh Stein to stop Duke Energy from recruiting data centers and to lead a moratorium on new ones. It’s clear that his silence indicates the odious, backroom deal-making continues – and almost surely includes state officials and tax money. 

NEW POWER PLANTS TOO

We also told Stein today that many communities targeted for data centers will also be saddled with new power plants built next to the energy-hogging data centers, thus forcing them to bear the significant health burdens of fossil fuel power generation.

Stein must immediately stop Duke Energy from continuing to recruit data centers, which the climate-wrecking corporation uses to justify the largest planned fossil fuel expansion in the US, causing power bills and climate pollution to soar for years. The Governor must also demand a statewide moratorium on new data centers – as called for by a state regulator’s expert in June.

Data center developments have faced well-deserved backlash from communities across the state and nation due to their massive power and water usage, air, water and noise pollution, economic burdens on the public and low job production, among the many factors. Nationally, concerns mount about AI’s role enhancing government-corporate surveillance and war-making.

One of the emerging deceptions is that data centers would pay for new power generation built by Duke Energy. Indications are that Duke leaders are scheming to quietly rebate any upfront costs paid by data center owners, thus forcing even more rate hikes onto other monopoly-captive customers.  

North Carolinians are being cheated, and our Governor must demand that it stop.  

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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes.

The post Flagrant Foul Called Against Polluters and State Officials Pushing Secretive Data Centers, Pipelines – and Power Plants — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.