The Proposal presented at the New Hill Community Center

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Here’s what they are proposing:

A 250 megawatt data center – that’s about 1/4 of Shearon Harris’s entire output (960MW).

80 diesel generators, each 4MW.

Four massive 70ft buildings, towering above the 30ft tree line and visible for miles.

Roughly 3,300 temporary construction jobs, but only ~275 full-time permanent jobs once operational.

Why this is a problem for us:

Power costs & strain – Duke Energy will need to study whether major infrastructure improvements are required. If so, customers (us) often end up paying for those upgrades.

Deforestation & land loss – roughly 190 acres of forested land wiped out for this site.

Noise & air pollution – 80 massive generators tested weekly or fired up during outages means constant diesel fumes andindustrial noise.

Community impact – the sheer size and visibility of this project changes the rural, residential character of where we live.

Economic spin is misleading – they pitch hotels and restaurants benefiting, but the closest are 8–10 miles away, not right here.

What we can do:

This is not something we want in our backyard. We need to show up and speak up.

Here are proven ways communities have successfully fought back against similar projects:

Participate in Local Planning & Zoning Processes – In Mooresville, “The Concrete Monster” was dropped after 200 residents protested a rezoning request.

Form Community Coalitions – Groups like “Save Bren Mar” delayed data centers by appealing directly to planning authorities.

Appeal to Political & Regulatory Bodies – In Pennsylvania, Amazon’s plan to connect a data center to a nuclear plant is now under federal review.

Influence Elections & Policy – In Virginia, Town Council members who supported data centers lost their seats after residents pushed back.

The next meeting is scheduled for 8/26 – but we don’t have to wait until then. The sooner we organize and make our voices heard, the stronger our case will be.

Please share this with neighbors, attend meetings, and speak out. Once built, we can’t undo it.