Stop the Pipeline, Stop the Data Centers: Actions This Week
Aidan’s on the radio!!
Enbridge Pipeline / Aidan interview w/Celeste Guajardo on WUNC.
Actions against the proposed 12" Enbridge fracked-gas pipeline in Chatham continue strongly, with meetings this week with the Board of Commissioners and the Agriculture Board. Check out this great story! Wanna get involved? Email aidan@hawriver.org and visit the Fight Enbridge Pipeline Chatham Facebook Group!
Army Corps Under Fire for Approving Pipelines Without Environmental Analysis
Army Corps Sued Again Over Pipeline Permit Threatening U.S. Waterways and Endangered Wildlife
Environmental groups, including Waterkeeper Alliance, are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the Trump administration’s plan to fast-track the construction of oil and gas pipelines through wetlands, streams, and rivers nationwide. The lawsuit asserts that the Corps approved the permit in January without analyzing the environmental dangers of pipelines, including the destruction of tens of thousands of acres of waterways that people and endangered wildlife rely on. Read on here.
Where the Gas Flows, Data Centers Follow: Learn and Act August 25th
Pipelines and Data Centers: What's the Connection?! - August 25th
North Carolina and Virginia are facing a massive buildout of methane gas infrastructure. Why? To meet the growing demand of data center development.
Along the routes of two new massive methane gas pipelines, the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (MVPS), we are seeing growing proposals for data centers and gas-fired power plants. This is sounding the alarm that where the gas flows, the data centers follow.
Understanding the connection between the methane gas buildout and the rise of data centers is increasingly important as we continue working to protect our communities and environment from this harmful development. A strong way to highlight this connection is by keeping it in the media– one way to do this is by writing a letter to the editor to share your concerns.
Join environmental groups on August 25th to learn how the methane-gas buildout directly relates to the rise of data centers, and take action by participating in a "letter-to-the-editor" writing workshop to make your voices heard!
Stop the Data Center Loophole: Durham Vote Monday
Durham Data Center Action - August 24th
PACK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' CHAMBERS MONDAY, 8/24 AT 7PM, 200 E. MAIN ST. for the final and hearing and vote.
Demand a countywide data center moratorium without loopholes!
JOIN THE RALLY AT 6PM: We'll have food, bold community speakers, and mutual aid supplies with The People's Table / @bullcityvanguard, and more!
If you are joining virtually on 8/24 to give public comment, submit your full name and address to the Clerk via email or phone: clerk@dconc.gov or (919-560-0025) BEFORE SUNDAY 8/23 AT 2PM!
DANGER: Some commissioners want to allow 100,000 sq ft data centers for their corporate tech “stakeholders”, which defeats the entire purpose of a moratorium–to give us vital protections while we determine the best approach to permanent protections. This loophole would allow data centers that use up to 100 MW, enough energy to power 80-100K homes. Supporters include Commissioner Wendy Jacobs and Chair Mike Lee who happens to work for Avalara, an agentic AI company, and has admitted that he depends on data centers for his living. Chair Lee has a clear conflict of interest but is refusing to recuse himself! Also, that's hyperscale!! Along with huge amounts of energy, data centers also use huge amounts of water, and they add more carcinogenic toxins into our air, soils, and watersheds. Even “small scale” ones have a big impact and must be strictly regulated!Choose people, our plant and animal kin, and the planet over dirty, deadly AI data centers!
Local NEWS!
Alamance Data Center Strong Moratorium!
On 8/17, after hearing from hundreds of residents, Alamance County Commissioners voted unanimously to pass a one-year moratorium on data centers. The Commission said that they haven't and won't use NDAs because it is "not truthful or respectful towards the citizens". Read more here.
Greensboro Data Center Mini-Moratorium
On 8/18 Greensboro City Council passed a 6-month moratorium on data centers. This is better than nothing, but comes after a public hearing on 8/17 where over 50 Greensboro residents near-unanimously called for a 32-month moratorium to properly address inequities and public participation in the City. Check out the response from the coalition working in Guilford known as The Protect Guilford County: Data Center Moratorium Coalition. (letter attached here)
Our Community, Our Future Art Build Flyer - August 29th (flyer below)
Join us for “Our Community, Our Future” A community education and imagination event to educate Greensboro and Guilford County residents on the impact of hyper-scale data centers. The proliferation of hyper-scale data centers are in the news and many communities are concerned about the environmental harms and other impacts that they have on their communities. This event will combine education and art to help residents understand:
What are hyper-scale data centers?
Why should we be aware of them?
How do they impact our land, resources and energy bills?
Why is it important for residents to be able to proactively imagine what they would like for their communities outside of extractive developments?
The event will be free, open to the public and friendly for multiple generations including families with children of all ages. Participants will be led through visionary art prompts and we will have multiple art stations, from child-friendly canvas painting to poster design and word art.
Date: Saturday, August 29th
Time: 1-4 p.m. ET drop-in! no rsvp needed
Location: Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, Room 413
Audience: All ages welcome! We encourage families with children and will have age-appropriate art activities for all participants. Snacks will be available.
Hosted By: Protect Guilford County: Data Center Moratorium Coalition, Haw River Assembly, & Wayward
Take care of yourselves and each other,
~ Aidan Loretz (she/her, they/them)
Haw River Assembly Environmental Justice Community Organizer
Communities Over Pipelines! Communities Over Corporate Profits!