The town of Hillsborough added its voice to a growing trend this week, as the town board voted unanimously to impose a 60-day moratorium on the approval of any new AI data centers or data mining facilities in town limits.

“I think this moratorium is a great idea for Hillsborough, to learn more about them and make sure thoughtful in where we place them and what language to use around them,” said town commissioner Meaghun Darab at Wednesday’s meeting.

Town commissioners generally agreed that they were not necessarily opposed to data centers outright – but Hillsborough’s unified development ordinance (UDO) contains no language governing that particular use of land, so the moratorium is meant to give town staff a chance to study the issue and develop new governance language.

“I think data centers are going to become more and more integral to the economy, they’re not going to go away – and inevitably someone will come and look for one (here),” said town commissioner Matt Hughes. “It won’t be one of the large gigawatt facilities, but it could be fairly substantial and impactful.”

Fellow board member Kathleen Ferguson agreed. “Not having it in the UDO opens us up to consequences,” she said. “I got back from a (town) where the county placed a data center right across the street from housing; the community did not have a choice, and already the housing values are being impacted. So we need to really take a look at that and understand (the) impact, more than just today but looking down the road.”

Wednesday’s vote in Hillsborough followed similar votes by Orange County Commissioners, Chatham County Commissioners, and the Durham City Council, all within the last few months.

Featured photo: screencap of Wednesday’s Hillsborough town board meeting, with Commissioners Matt Hughes and Kathleen Ferguson and Mayor Mark Bell.

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