Natelli Investments is bulldozing 140 acres in Apex for a data center that’ll devour 300 megawatts of power—enough to run a small city. The facility needs 80 diesel generators and millions of gallons of water daily, all to make internet speeds faster. Residents are furious about the air pollution, noise, and environmental damage. The Environmental Advisory Board barely approved it, 6-3. The town’s sustainability plans look pretty hollow when massive fossil-fuel projects keep getting greenlit.
Progress comes with a price tag, and in Apex, that bill might be too steep for some residents to stomach. Natelli Investments LLC wants to bulldoze 140 acres for a data center that’ll suck up 300 megawatts from Duke Energy. That’s one-third of what the Shearon Harris nuclear plant cranks out. Just so someone’s TikTok videos load faster.
The developer pivoted to data centers five years ago, spreading projects from South Carolina to Maryland. Now they’re eyeing Apex, and the Environmental Advisory Board already voted 6-3 to approve rezoning conditions. Democracy in action, folks.
Neighbors aren’t thrilled. At a Jordan Pointe meeting, residents raised hell about air pollution from fossil fuel burning. The facility plans to install 80 diesel generators, each three megawatts, stuffed into tractor-trailer containers. Nothing says “welcome to the neighborhood” like nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter wafting through your backyard.
Then there’s the water situation. The data center will tap into the Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facility, using treated wastewater for cooling those precious cloud computing operations. The facility could consume millions of gallons daily to keep servers from melting down.
Here’s the kicker: one-third of that water evaporates, mixing with pollutants before settling back down on homes, plants, and trees. Even the developer’s consultant admits some data centers are moving away from water usage. Too little, too late for Apex residents.
North Carolina ditched coal for natural gas over the past two decades, but it’s still fossil fuel. The 300-megawatt demand means more carbon emissions and air quality risks.
Sure, higher-voltage transmission lines reduce outage risks compared to residential lines, but that’s cold comfort when you’re breathing diesel fumes. The developer promises noise levels at the property line will hit 55-60 decibels, about as loud as a normal conversation.
The regulatory maze continues. Generators need EPA and state environmental permits. The town’s pushing its 2024 Sustainability Action Plan while earning SolSmart Gold designation back in 2019.
They’ve slapped solar panels on ten town facilities since 2018, with eleven more sites identified. Clean energy feeds the grid while a massive data center prepares to gorge on it.
Meanwhile, Western Wake Partners grabbed 237 acres via eminent domain for a $327 million wastewater plant in New Hill. Progress marches on, whether residents like it or not.