Rural U.S. Communities Push Back Against Data Center Expansion

In Rural Hall, North Carolina, residents received zoning notices proposing to rezone a 129‑acre farm for industrial use as a data center. Long‑time locals, including Carol Newsome’s family, expressed concerns about losing farmland, trees and wildlife, and opposed the plan.

Similarly, in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the Archuleta County Board of Commissioners imposed a moratorium on new data center projects, and the town council is drafting land‑use language while debating the balance between potential benefits and national‑security worries. Council member Vahid Shabro cautioned against a swift ban.

Both cases illustrate growing resistance in rural America to the AI‑driven data‑center boom, which seeks large parcels, water access and lower taxes, prompting local governments to reconsider zoning and development policies.