A local government may temporarily impose a moratorium on development approvals required by law, which could prevent a data center from obtaining approvals while the moratorium is in effect. may adopt temporary moratoria on any development approval required by law.

A moratorium must last only for a reasonable period and may not exceed the time necessary to correct, modify, or resolve the conditions supporting it. may not exceed the period of time necessary to correct, modify, or resolve such conditions.

Before imposing a moratorium lasting 60 days or less, the governing board generally must hold a legislative hearing and publish newspaper notice at least seven days beforehand. publish a notice of the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the area not less than seven days.

A moratorium lasting 61 days or more, or an extension that brings the total duration to at least 61 days, must comply with the notice and hearing requirements for development regulations under G.S. 160D-601. duration is 61 days or longer.

Unless there is an imminent threat to public health or safety, a moratorium does not apply to projects with an outstanding valid building permit, a complete special-use-permit application, an approved site-specific vesting plan, qualifying good-faith expenditures based on a prior approval, or subdivision plats already accepted for review. does not apply to any project for which a valid building permit.

A moratorium ordinance must state the problems requiring it, the alternatives considered, the approvals covered, why the duration is necessary, and the actions and schedule the local government will follow during the moratorium. must include, at the time of adoption.

A moratorium cannot be renewed or extended unless the local government has taken all reasonable and feasible steps promised in the original ordinance and new facts or conditions justify the extension. No moratorium may be subsequently renewed or extended.

In Halifax County, a data center must obtain a zoning certificate by submitting a site plan, and the planning department must approve the site plan before a building permit can be issued. they do have to have a zoning certificate, and to get that they have to submit a site plan.

Halifax County has signed an economic development agreement to sell land for the QDCH data-center project, providing the project with a county-owned development site.

Because data centers are not specifically addressed in the county zoning ordinance, the county currently has no zoning authority over them.

The county planning department believes a data center can be allowed in a light-industrial zoning district because it is similar to facilities that do not emit dust or other harmful impacts on adjoining property owners.

A data-center project with a valid building permit is exempt from a development moratorium, unless there is an imminent threat to public health or safety. (a valid building permit issued pursuant to G.S. 160D-1108 is outstanding)

A project is exempt from a moratorium if its complete special-use-permit application was accepted before the moratorium, if it is covered by an approved site-specific vesting plan, or if substantial expenditures were made in good-faith reliance on a prior valid approval, subject to the imminent-threat exception. (to any project for which a special use permit application has been accepted as complete)

If a complete development-approval application was submitted before a moratorium takes effect, the application is governed by the permit-processing rule in G.S. 160D-108(b) when processing resumes. (a complete application for a development approval has been submitted prior to the effective date of a moratorium)

A moratorium must be reasonable, may not last longer than necessary to address the conditions prompting it, and cannot be renewed or extended unless the local government has taken all reasonable and feasible proposed corrective steps and new facts or conditions justify the extension. (The duration of any moratorium shall be reasonable)