What was said about data centers in North Carolina
60 statements from 29 speakers, grouped by who spoke. Each appears as said, with the date and the source. No verdict is attached.
From July 24, 2026 to October 1, 2026. Statements from every state are on Statements.
Government 29
Officials in office, lawmakers, regulators, public agencies and courts, federal, state, tribal and local. Every state.
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Tommy Tucker, and Donald van der Vaart, North Carolina Utilities Commissioners
Republican commissioners William Brawley, Tommy Tucker, and Donald van der Vaart rejected the project because Duke Energy failed to demonstrate how it would adhere to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge
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North Carolina Governor
Gov. Josh Stein calling on state utility regulators to codify data center energy promises made by Duke Energy to ensure data centers do not result in higher electricity bills for North Carolina families.
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President Trump stated in social media that opposition to AI data centers and calls to curtail AI development constitute a sick conspiracy.
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Lee County Board Chair
Samantha Martin, Board Chair, stated the current UDO requires administrative review and approval of data centers if application is in correct zoning district
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Jeff Jackson, North Carolina Attorney General, is pushing for creation of separate data center rate class for Duke Energy customers beyond state utility regulators' proposal
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President Donald Trump stated AI needs only a strong president as guardrail and called opposition to AI data centers a sick conspiracy.
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North Carolina Governor Josh Stein called on state utility regulators to make Duke Energy's voluntary pledge legally binding so data centers pay their own way.
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Natalie Murdock, State Senator (D-Durham, Chatham counties)
Whatley's family has up to 1.6 million invested in data center companies
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson proposed that Duke Energy make energy load forecasts every 90 days instead of every six months
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jeff Jackson, NC Attorney General, calls on state regulators to establish distinct utility rate class for Duke Energy data centers to prevent costs shifting to residential customers
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson states Duke Energy onboarding unprecedented number of data centers without clear plan to protect ratepayers
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson requested that Duke Energy pause new natural gas plant development to allow stakeholders to evaluate load forecast
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson proposes separate rate class for Duke Energy data centers to ensure equal treatment and prevent cost shifting to residential customers
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Governor of North Carolina
Josh Stein, North Carolina Governor, released statement Monday following Jackson's actions calling for data centers to pay their own way to lower electricity costs
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson proposed that Duke Energy submit regular reports about agreements with large energy users that differ from standard templates
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson recommends pausing development of new natural gas plants to allow full evaluation of Duke Energy's last minute updates
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North Carolina Attorney General
Jackson calls for Utilities Commission to require Duke Energy to make voluntary pledge on data center costs legally binding
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Davidson County Commissioner
Commissioner Todd Yates stated data centers cannot be stopped
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Brunswick County Vice Chair
Vice Chair Marty Cooke said data centers will not provide jobs; multi billion dollar investment for 10 to 12 jobs
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Brunswick County Commissioner
Commissioner Pat Sykes stated data centers are very noisy, use a lot of electricity and water
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Brunswick County Chair
Chair Mike Forte stated he is adamantly opposed and will not vote for approval of data centers due to water and power draw concerns
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Republican state representative; Jeff McNeely, Republican state representative
Republican state Reps. David Willis and Jeff McNeely said residents asking questions about energy, water, noise, and who benefits from the projects deserve answers but argued that blocking data centers through moratoriums is the wrong answer
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North Carolina Attorney General
Governor Josh Stein and Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued a joint call for Duke Energy to make its federal Ratepayer Protection Pledge legally binding through a state agreement with the Utilities Commission.
Chief executives 4
Chief executives, presidents, founders and chairs of companies, in technology, data centers, power and elsewhere. Every state.
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Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, compared rejecting AI to rejecting electricity, calling AI adoption essential for economic growth.
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Google DeepMind
Demis Hassabis stated achieving human level AI would unleash ten times the impact of the Industrial Revolution.
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Nvidia CEO
Jensen Huang stated every country needs AI data center infrastructure as foundational as water, roads, electricity and internet.
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Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO, at G20 Innovation Ministerial said work that takes ten years could take one year, and year long projects could finish within a month.
Candidates and campaigns 12
People running for office, their campaigns and their parties. A candidate who does not hold the office is not an official. Every state.
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Republican US Senate nominee
Michael Whatley accepted $27,000 from KKR affiliated donors, including $5,000 from Raj Agrawal.
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Republican US Senate nominee
Whatley's family holds up to $410,000 in individual Duke Energy stock.
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Republican US Senate nominee
Whatley said he opposes subsidies for data centers but supports tax breaks for them.
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Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair, stated Michael Whatley has investments in Duke Energy and companies pushing for data centers, and that Duke Energy is pushing for higher utility prices.
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Whatley's family holds individual stock in Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and Apple for data center investments
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Anderson Clayton and Natalie Murdock, North Carolina Democratic Party
North Carolina Democrats held a press conference calling on U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley to sell his investments in data center companies
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Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair
Duke Energy seeks to raise utility rates in North Carolina by around $15 per month by summer 2028
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Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair
Whatley's family owns at least $149,000 in Duke Energy stock
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Democratic candidate for North Carolina Congressional District 11
Jamie Ager said data centers must bring good local jobs and cannot poison water or air
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Democratic candidate for North Carolina Congressional District 11
Ager said every community deserves the ability to set terms if they want a data center at all
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Democratic candidate for North Carolina Congressional District 11
Ager stated data centers cannot drive up electric bills for families and small businesses
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Republican National Committee Chair and U.S. Senate nominee in North Carolina
Michael Whatley, RNC Chair and U.S. Senate nominee in North Carolina, said data center opposition is not organic and is ginned up
Business groups and unions 1
Chambers of commerce, trade associations and labor unions. Every state.
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president and CEO, North Carolina Chamber
Gary Salamido, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber, said Capital flows where it is wanted and stays where it's welcome, so moratoriums certainly send a message
Advocates and residents 4
Advocacy and community groups on every side, residents, neighbors and people speaking at public meetings. Every state.
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Munashe Magarira, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said Duke's build out plan calls for a 'staggering amount' of new, polluting gas plants, with the collective maximum output of 12 gas plants approximately 9,850 megawatts.
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Will Scott, Environmental Defense Fund North Carolina policy director, said commission approval of fossil fuel Duke proposals have been foregone conclusion but this rejection was surprising.
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Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice
Coalition of 17 environmental organizations urging EPA not to approve 2P50 and other new PFAS uses
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co-director, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
Rania Masri, co director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, said in support of the moratoriums in June: We are being told that AI data centers are inevitable , that communities must sacrifice their water, land, and health, and their economic future for Big Tech's greed
Other voices 10
Journalists, lawyers, former officials, and speakers the source describes in words that name none of the groups above. Every state.
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Fox News article
Michael Whatley and his family hold between $246,000 and $690,000 in energy investments with companies fueling data center growth
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Fox News article
Whatley and his family have holdings between $149,000 and $410,000 in Duke Energy
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Fox News article
Whatley reported $361,000 from CAPCVentures LLC for consulting services in 2025
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Roy Cooper, former North Carolina Democratic governor running for U.S. Senate, said AI data center development should be slowed and federal guardrails are needed.
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Charlotte Water Public Affairs Manager Jennifer Frost said data centers currently operating in Charlotte have not caused residential water or sewer rates to increase
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Chemours claims 2P50 could nearly eliminate water use for cooling
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Chemours developing Opteon 2P50, a fluorinated fluid for cooling data center servers
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Chemours
Opteon 2P50 chemical awaiting federal EPA approval and not yet commercially available in United States
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WRAL
PFAS from Fayetteville Works contaminated drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in Cape Fear region
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director, John Locke Foundation Center for Food, Power, and Life
Jon Sanders, director of the John Locke Foundation's Center for Food, Power, and Life, said I'm doubtful local moratoriums will have much practical effect because the market has already narrowed the universe of places where a data center can realistically locate
The group comes from the words the source gives for the speaker; how the groups are read. Every statement on the record is in CSV and JSON, with its group and its state.
