Raleigh City Council approved a six-month pause on new large data centers. Draft rules post for comment Nov. 16; the pause ends April 6, 2027.

Raleigh has paused new large data centers for six months. The City Council approved the moratorium at its Oct. 6 meeting, after a public hearing.

The pause ends April 6, 2027. That is the date the council expects to take final action on new rules for data centers. The city set out the schedule in a news release on Oct. 8.

The city said the pause gives it time to study water use, noise and environmental effects. Staff will use it to update the rules for future data centers.

What is paused

The city’s data centers FAQ says the moratorium pauses the city’s acceptance and review of data center development applications. That includes the special use permit a major data center needs.

The draft ordinance the council heard on Oct. 6 exempted small data centers. It defined those as unmanned sites of 10,000 square feet or less with a peak demand of 5 megawatts or less. The city has not yet posted the adopted text, so we have not confirmed whether it changed. Our story before the hearing sets out the draft in full.

The schedule to April

Date Step
Nov. 16 Draft changes to the Unified Development Ordinance expected online; comments open for two weeks
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Planning Commission reviews the comments
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027 Planning Commission meets again
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2027 Planning Commission reports to the City Council
Tuesday, March 2, 2027 City Council public hearing
Tuesday, April 6, 2027 Council’s final action on the new rules; the moratorium ends

The city said it will add more public information sessions later.

Why the water question matters here

Most of Raleigh’s drinking water comes from Falls Lake, according to Raleigh Water’s page on where your drinking water comes from. The draft ordinance said new pipes and plants to serve large data centers “could create significant burdens on the City’s water utility enterprise and its ratepayers.”

What it means for you

  • To comment on the new rules, watch for the draft text on Nov. 16. Comments are taken online for two weeks after it posts. The city offers email updates on development rule changes.
  • To speak to the council, sign up for City Council public comment. The city said comment sessions are on the second and third Tuesdays of the month.
  • To speak at the hearing, the date is Tuesday, March 2, 2027.
  • If you own industrial land, the city will not process a new large data center application until the pause ends. See our building permits and zoning guide for how rezonings work in Raleigh.