MountainTrue Organizational Statement on the Siting of Data Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities

The Southern Blue Ridge is facing a growing influx of proposals for data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, and large-scale server farms. To protect our region, MountainTrue has established the following organizational positions regarding the development of data centers and similar facilities:

Empowering Communities in Land-Use Decisions

MountainTrue believes that communities have the fundamental right to a voice in land-use decisions that affect their future.

Decisions regarding major industrial developments must be made deliberately, transparently, and with robust public input. Often, data centers are proposed in areas undergoing economic hardship, presenting false promises of revitalization while foreclosing opportunities to reimagine these sites in ways that honor local heritage and generate truly sustainable, community-driven economic activity.

We strongly support local governments implementing moratoriums to ensure they have the time necessary to gather public input and thoughtfully amend local zoning ordinances. Communities must be empowered to decide how their land is used, ensuring that any new development serves the best interests of the people who live there.

Demanding Sustainable and Community-Safe Operations

Data centers typically provide very few local jobs while demanding massive amounts of local resources. MountainTrue believes that data centers should be strictly regulated to ensure environmental sustainability and the protection of nearby neighborhoods.

Should a community choose to approve a data center, the facility must meet rigorous standards to mitigate its impact, specifically addressing:

• Sustainable Energy Use: These facilities require massive amounts of energy to run powerful computer networks. Facilities must be powered sustainably and efficiently. Meeting their extreme energy demands through fossil fuel combustion is unacceptable, as it results in the emission of air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter that pose well-documented health risks to nearby residents and worsen the climate crisis.
  
• Responsible Water Use: Data centers often require enormous quantities of water to cool their operations, generating substantial heat that can disrupt local ecosystems and increase fire risk. Facilities must implement closed-loop or highly efficient cooling systems that do not drain or degrade local watersheds, protecting the remarkable biodiversity of our rivers and streams.
  
• Zero Noise and Light Pollution: Communities must be protected from the round-the-clock noise and light pollution commonly associated with these sites. As seen in existing facilities in the Southern Blue Ridge, the relentless, 24/7 noise of cooling fans and servers can severely degrade the quality of life of local residents. Facilities must be required to implement comprehensive soundproofing and light-mitigation measures to avoid disturbing nearby residents.

Our Commitment 

MountainTrue stands ready to assist local governments and community members across the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains in drafting protective ordinances. We commend the communities in Clay, McDowell, Cherokee, Buncombe, and Madison counties, as well as the Towns of Canton and Waynesville, that have already taken proactive steps to protect their natural resources and residents through moratoriums and zoning updates.