HILDEBRAN, N.C. — Dozens of people signed a petition at Happy Day Grocery opposing a data center in Hildebran. The town manager confirmed that Digi Power X bought two tracks of land in Cline Industrial Park next to a Duke Energy substation.
[ ALSO READ: Data center company buys more land in Burke County ]
Residents are worried about noise and their quality of life, and town leaders told Channel 9’s Dave Faherty they’ve already taken action.
Hildebran Mayor Wendell Hildebrand said he’s unsure whether the town can stop the data center, but they can limit the amount of noise coming from it.
Libby Lowman’s family first opened Happy Day Grocery more than 60 years ago.
She is concerned about the noise levels coming from a data center across the street.
“And what we would like to know is what is the benefit of it coming here? (How) is it going to benefit the citizens of Hildebran?” Lowman said.
Digi Power X bought the land but has not filed permits yet.
The company posted on Facebook earlier this year, “As demand for Al-compute accelerates globally, access to power and efficient infrastructure has become more critical than ever. At Digi Power X, we are building to meet that demand — combining energy assets with next-generation data center solutions.”
Hildebrand said when the town learned of a possible data center coming here, the council took action, passing rules that limit the noise coming from the project.
“So, many people are opposed to these data centers,” Hildebrand told Faherty during a phone interview. “And I don’t know that we can stop them. But what we can do is enact so many ordinances, so they won’t affect the quality of life of our citizens.”
The mayor said earlier that not only are some citizens opposed to the data center, but he also doesn’t think anyone on the town council is in favor of it either.