177,000-Square-Foot Data Center Proposed In Selma
SELMA, N.C. – Less than three weeks after the Selma Town Council adopted its first specific regulations governing data centers, a 177,000-square-foot data center proposal is headed to the town’s Planning Board.
The board is scheduled Monday, Oct. 26, to consider Project Volt, a proposed one-story facility on Noble Street near Eason Lane.
Advanced Manufacturing Inc. is seeking a conditional rezoning and special use permit for the project.
The property is currently zoned I-2 Heavy Industrial and is located in Selma’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The overall parcel contains approximately 101 acres, while the application has identified approximately 53 acres for the proposed facility.
Plans call for a single-story, approximately 177,000-square-foot building to accommodate what the application describes as a small data center.
The applicant says it would pay for electrical infrastructure needed to serve the project as well as a reclaimed-water system to provide cooling water.
The proposal comes shortly after the Town Council unanimously adopted new data center regulations Oct. 6 following months of discussion over electrical demand, water use, noise and other potential impacts.
New Rules Will Apply
Under the new ordinance, groundwater cannot be used to cool a data center. Facilities must instead use a closed-loop geothermal system or reclaimed water.
Data center applicants must also complete an electrical load study and demonstrate that sufficient capacity exists to serve the facility without adversely affecting other electric customers.
Other requirements address noise, screening, landscaping and eventual decommissioning of a facility.
Town planning staff said several of those requirements will be addressed later in the development process if the project advances.
The applicant has agreed to annexation of the property.
Planning Board Recommendation
The Planning Board will consider both the conditional rezoning request to Planned Unit Development-Industrial (PUD-I) and the special use permit for Project Volt.
Any action taken by the Planning Board will be a recommendation only. The Selma Town Council will have final authority to approve or deny both requests.
The proposal will be the first specific data center project to go through Selma’s review process since the town adopted its new data center regulations earlier this month.
The Selma Planning Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the Jernigan Building.
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No to data centers!
This is disgusting! Every politician involved is a coward and a sellout.
No to data centers amen!!!!!!!!!!
Yes to data centers!
NO, NO TO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE THE PEOPLE OF SELMA SHOW UP FOR THIS MEETING AND TELL THEM A BIG H@LL NO TO THIS. 👎👎👎👎
Data centers are an abuse of our resources. Just say no!
Not sure what this means if they can provide their own power and use a closed circuit water cooling system? I’m sure the CNN degreed folks can answer this question.
From what I understand that’s a profitable business and as such shouldn’t need the taxpayer subsidies. Let it stand on its own merits. I do anticipate they’ll be using those 19 generators for more than backup power which could actually generate more than they need and provide a power source to the grid. A possible win win if politicians stay out and a professional negotiates. Data centers are a requirement of automation. Regulation is a necessity and inevitable, make the best of it.
Unnecessary, unwanted , and waste of resources. Say no.
Why are so many people against data centers?
I’d much rather see useful data centers in Johnston County rather than the absolutely useless monstrosity of a “stadium” that’s going to cost taxpayers over $20 million! (Money pit!) At least the data center owners will pay for all the necessary expenses for these projects. The multimillionaire owners of the “tobs” are paying practically nothing. Make it make sense, for real, because the math ain’t mathing!