Beaufort County Natural Resources Committee September 8, 2026 @ 2 PM

The Beaufort County Natural Resources Committee met on September 8, 2026, to discuss updates to the county's Comprehensive Plan and address emerging land use issues, particularly the regulation of data centers. The committee reviewed the required five-year update process for the Comprehensive Plan, including public engagement efforts and upcoming steps for planning commission and council review. A significant portion of the meeting focused on potential regulatory approaches for data centers, which have raised concerns due to their substantial resource consumption, including electricity and water, as well as environmental and community impacts such as noise, light pollution, and stormwater runoff. The committee considered options ranging from a complete ban, regulated special use permits, to a moratorium to allow time for further study and public input. Members expressed support for initiating an ordinance process concurrently with a moratorium lasting up to nine months to provide time for state legislative developments and detailed local policy formation. A motion was passed directing the administration to prepare both a moratorium ordinance and a regulatory ordinance with options for a ban or heavy regulation, aiming for an expedited timeline. The committee also discussed the need for a dedicated workshop to focus on the technical and policy implications of data centers before finalizing regulations.