Key facts
- Energy Storage Solutions has withdrawn its offer to buy 28 acres for a $19.2 billion data center and energy storage project in North Carolina.
- The project was planned for the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County.
- Local lawmakers are considering a 24-month moratorium on data center development.
- The cancellation is attributed to rising anti-data center sentiment in local communities.
Plans for a nearly $20 billion data center campus in North Carolina have been halted as local lawmakers consider a development moratorium. Energy Storage Solutions, a North Carolina-based LLC, has withdrawn its offer to purchase 28 acres for the project within the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County.
County Manager Eric Evans informed county commissioners that the company sent a letter noting its withdrawal from project consideration. The project had previously received unanimous approval for land use amendments from the county commission late last year. Daniel Shaffer, manager of Energy Storage Solutions, had previously stated the development would be built across eight phases, with financing and potential tenants not publicly disclosed.
The Kingsboro Megasite is one of five state-identified properties ready for large industrial operations. Energy Storage Solutions did not respond to requests for comment. Shaffer is also involved in a legal battle with the Tarboro Town Council over permits for a separate $6.4 billion project.
In parallel, Edgecombe County commissioners discussed a potential 24-month moratorium on data center development following a petition with over 1,300 signatures expressing concerns about future development. This cancellation marks another instance of a large data center project being withdrawn amid growing local opposition.