A New N.C. Ratepayer Bill Puts the Brakes on Data Centers, but Incentivizes Fossil Fuels
Key takeaways
- A gas turbine is delivered to Duke Energy’s natural gas-fired power plant in Lincoln County, North Carolina, in 2019.
- The first section of Senate Bill 730 would forbid data center developers from using eminent domain to seize land for their projects.
- “I couldn t ask for more in this political climate than what is in part one,” said state Rep.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
June 3, 2026 Share This Article Republish. A gas turbine is delivered to Duke Energy’s natural gas-fired power plant in Lincoln County, North Carolina, in 2019. Credit: Duke Energy Related Duke University Plans a Data Center It Says Will Boost ‘Environmental Responsibility and Sustainability’ A New Enbridge Pipeline Spurs Opposition in Central North Carolina Duke Energy Received Tax Breaks on Its Three N.C. Data Centers Share This Article Republish Most Popular EPA Rollbacks Could Raise AC, Refrigeration Costs Despite Promise of Lower Prices Scientists Outplant Experimental ‘Flonduran’ Corals in Florida’s Dry Tortugas National Park DOE Restarts Home Efficiency Rebates, and Electrification Is the Biggest Loser RALEIGH, N.C.—The Ratepayer Protection Act, wending its way through the North Carolina legislature, conjoins two opposing ideas: rein in data centers and their power consumption but liberate Duke Energy from limits on fossil fuels.
The first section of Senate Bill 730 would forbid data center developers from using eminent domain to seize land for their projects. It would prohibit local governments from extending economic incentives to data center developers, who have ravenous appetites for water, electricity and tax breaks. And it would shield North Carolinians from paying higher electric bills as a result of data centers’ operations.
“I couldn t ask for more in this political climate than what is in part one,” said state Rep. Pricey Harrison, a progressive Democrat from Guilford County. “It’s great.”