What are some of the ways that a proposed hyper-scale data center could impact where you live? I’m asking that question in person or on social media and preparing sound bites for upcoming news interviews. I’ve been talking to town councilors, activists, and homeowners. Here are some thoughts:
An Apex Town Councilman said, “Apex is one of the most desirable places to live in the world. We’re definitely not desperate for industry to build here. Don’t experiment with our community.”
Another member of the Town Council said, “residents pay 82% of taxes so we need more industry to help contribute and give tax relief.”
Jason Wadsworth is a neighbor who lives near Old Highway 1 adjacent and west of the data center proposed location said to me on Facebook, “Not enough was said concerning the possible contamination of well water and who’s responsibility that would fall to for remediation or compensation. With buildings that tall they’ll have even deeper footings. This only increases the chance of hitting our aquifer source. Once this happens there’s no going back. There is no option for city water out here. Plus not being on city water was one of the reasons for moving out here. We chose to be out here. Now Apex has put us in their etj (extraterritorial jurisdiction). We can’t vote on any decisions that directly affect us but they can right up to our front door.”
According to NPR, “Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are set to spend $400 billion just this year on AI, and that's mostly on data centers. OpenAI says it wants to spend more than $1 trillion on data centers in the coming years. But the rub is that most AI chatbots - so ChatGPT and the rest - are not making money.”
Our democracy and constitution built on the rule of law are eroding away. We paid taxes to achieve a high standard of living that are being diverted. Health, safety, and environmental laws and regulations are being ignored by government and industry in efforts to rapidly build AI hyper scale data centers.
Based on executive actions from 2025, the following executive orders (EOs) and strategic plans directly support the rapid development, permitting, and construction of data centers, particularly those focused on artificial intelligence (AI):
Executive Order 14318: Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure (July 23, 2025)
This is the primary directive aimed at speeding up the development of large-scale AI data centers (those over 100 megawatts) and supporting energy infrastructure.
Key Provisions: Streamlines environmental reviews, expands FAST-41 coverage for projects, and directs the use of federal, military, contaminated (Brownfield), and Superfund sites for data center construction.
Impact: Rescinds previous requirements (specifically EO 14141) that imposed climate and DEI-related constraints on data center development.
America's AI Action Plan (July 23, 2025)
A comprehensive strategic framework released alongside the EOs that identifies the rapid buildout of data centers and energy infrastructure as critical to U.S. competitiveness.
Key Provisions: Focuses on reducing regulatory barriers and promoting the construction of data centers and semiconductor facilities.
Executive Order 14320: Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack (July 23, 2025)
Supports the data center ecosystem by promoting U.S.-made AI technology globally, aiming to strengthen the international market position for U.S. data center infrastructure.
Executive Order 14179: Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (January 2025)
Initiated the shift towards deregulation and industry-driven growth for AI, laying the groundwork for later infrastructure-specific orders.
Executive Order: Launching the Genesis Mission (November 24, 2025)
Directs the Department of Energy to build an integrated AI platform, which includes expanding data center and computing resources.
Key Implementation Actions Supporting the EOs:
DOE Site Selection: The Department of Energy identified 16 federal sites (including Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, and Savannah River Site) for potential rapid data center construction and energy co-location.
Defense Production Act: The administration has signaled the potential use of the Defense Production Act to accelerate the infrastructure needed for these projects.
The proposed data center in Apex-New Hill is currently on 190 acres of farmland zoned for residential use. The site currently allows for natural groundwater recharge used by homeowners on well water. We can’t go on private property so have no idea what endangered species live here. There needs to be an environmental impact statement prepared so we can know the potential impacts before the project goes further. The rules keep changing in favor of industry and we’re very concerned with how this is affecting our lives.
The town is considering annexation and rezoning to light industrial and we don’t agree that an AI hyper scale data center would be light industrial; it would be very heavy industrial. Using 300 MW equivalent to one-third of the Sharon Harris NPP could also power about 200,000 homes. Not only do they take power from the electrical grid, the tech company would build backup power currently proposed using diesel generators. The developer proposes four buildings each one is twice the size of a Walmart Superstore and twice as tall! Deep excavations will dislodge sediments that can contaminate people’s well water.
People in the adjacent neighborhood have been able to smell sewage from the adjacent water treatment plant. So we are concerned with many sources of pollution to the air, bright lights, loud sounds running 24/7 affecting people, pets and wildlife, and water. They propose using about one million gallons per day of reclaimed water for cooling the computer equipment. But that depends on adequate water supplies being available coming from Jordan Lake. The drought over the past five months lowered the lake level by 6.5 feet. About one-third of that water is evaporated so that will be a loss to the Cape Fear River and put wastewater mist into the air which can cause people to get sick. Data centers use forever chemicals like PFAS in cooling systems!
Overall, living near data centers with diesel generators can increase rates of asthma and other health problems. This will not be one and done and usually data centers are built in corridors which could stretch for many miles towards Chatham county. The question were asking is will Apex motto continue of being the peak of good living?