Don’t have many details - but seeing news that Beacon Partners wants to build a 13 MW data center in SE Raleigh.
Personally I don’t understand why these need to be near cities.
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From an I.T. perspective, some likley reasons for building these with close proximity to large metro areas: Acess to a larger pool of skilled labor; Quicker access to hardware vendors and repair servies which helps keep downtime to an absolute minimum, which is highly critical for hosting companies; Cites/metro areas typically offer more robust electrical grids and major internet cables and high-speed data routes (backbones) usually converge around metro areas. Hope this helps some.
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For exactly the same reason why AT&T built this windowless box on a full block of McDowell Street – telephone-switch central offices like that one were the original “data centers.” Companies want their data in the cloud, but still near their offices or their customers’ devices (“edge computing”).
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Yeah this doesn’t need to be 3 miles from downtown. I get that they want to have easy access to everything, but they’re not a big employer and have too many drawbacks.
There’s almost nowhere in the city of Raleigh where this makes sense. They add zero to the community and have plenty of red flags. There’s plenty of space out in Zebulon where they could still tap into the Raleigh workforce without being surrounded by people’s houses.
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The site is east of 40 on Jones Sausage Rd. While it’s next to Raleigh, it’s currently NOT in the city limits. Of course it’s the working class that’s going to get screwed if this happens because it’s basically across the street from a mobile home park.
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Hey, unlike you, most of us are still working too! 
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Na keep Zebulon outta this! lol move them to Nashville NC!
Anyone know if this rezoning outcome is on Polymarket or Kalshi?
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We were talking about you last night. You ever coming to a meetup again?
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Yes, I should have time in the fall to attend a meetup! Would be great to see everyone.
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On the one hand, this is only a little closer to downtown than another existing data center near North Hills on Departure Dr. And, well, data centers are pretty standard infrastructure in the last decade.
On the other hand, I genuinely appreciate that data center drama is the growing representation of public backlash against our society pouring vast amounts of money into irresponsible tech while food becomes unaffordable for many. A real social movement is a valuable thing.
So, I wouldn’t interfere with anyone protesting this, but I’m also not gonna burn any goodwill toward our city leaders if it goes through.
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I think people need to realize that data centers have existed for decades. This size (13 MW) is on the size of those that have been built normally for years without question that powers everything people like on the internet. This is not hyperscale data center which are in the hundreds of megawatts or even gigawatts. Opposing this just because it’s the big scary “data center” word is just frankly stupid. Nuance is needed for projects just like other development projects and shouldn’t be opposed just like when Livable Raleigh opposes a rezoning because it is zoned to 20 stories when that doesn’t necessarily mean that the building will even be built to 20 stories. Except this time you know exactly how big it will be (13 MW which isn’t that big). Opposing any data center is just the new wave NIMBYs. Of course, if this was 1 GW data center I would be opposed given the closeness to downtown, but it’s not.
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I am waiting on someone to build a 1.21 Gigawatts data center.
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There are already data centers in Raleigh and Garner.
I will be watching 
this one. I think we are letting these data centers run wild. They are taking over our electrical and water capacity and that is why they are now getting so much press and rightly so. The public needs to be paying attention. Just because we had these in the past doesn’t mean it is a good idea going forward. Especially if everyone around them has to pay the price for them. There needs to be accountability for these data centers if these local governments are going to allow them to be built. IMHO.
Many of the new ones being constructed today are bringing their own power and water to it. 2-3 years ago they weren’t because they needed to be built fast as possible to service demand (they still do, but have had backlash and are changing to get them approved by cities). I’m not saying we should just let them run wild, but it’s a misconception their impact on electricity prices and a flat out lie they are wasting water. Golf courses and growing almonds use far far more water and have way less utility. People still don’t want to hear it but AI is the present/future and we don’t want to end up not building them like CA who didn’t build any housing and see where they are now. I think it’s prudent to be responsible, but just opposing any new data center because that’s the new thing is shooting ourselves in the foot IMO.
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Actually glad I posted this.. Honestly I saw “13 MW” and without having a deep understanding of hyper scale data center sizes, or power measurement (I did check that it was ~1.4% of what I believe is Shearon Harris’ 900 MW capacity) I just assumed it was significantly larger than it was.
I don’t mind a “data center” - what I do mind is paying more on my Duke or Raleigh water bill because it opened and subsidizing a large business.
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On site natural gas generation that is large enough to power 13 MW has to be a significant pollutant and have negative health consequences, not to mention the potential associated noise. Fiber is fast enough that I doubt even 500 miles makes much of a difference unless you’re in HFT.
What I’m guessing they like about this site is A. it’s large enough, B. it’s got lower income residents as immediate neighbors, C. it’s near a natural gas hookup (if they aren’t connecting to the grid), D. it’s in a metro with a decent fiber backbone.
I’m not arguing we shouldn’t build data centers, I’m suggesting that they should cost more to the businesses/people building them so that they aren’t subsidized by, or harming existing residents. The fact that the local government(s) elsewhere have signed off on these tells me they are focused on tax revenue over voters. Or maybe in Memphis’ case they believe they were just misled..
Anyone comparing this to “NIMBY” - we haven’t opened many new landfills in America, or petroleum refineries.. “I don’t want a tall building” is not the same thing as locating an industrial complex inside a residential area.
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I don’t support a flat out data center ban. Many folks that are up in arms don’t realize that data centers run the internet and just about everything they do on-line. Any post on social media, most websites (including probably this one, unless @dtraleigh hosts this on a laptop in his house), TikTok, Amazon, Netflix, DineyPlus, Spotify, iCloud Photos, YouTube, gmail, etc. is all stored and delivered to you via data centers. They just hear AI data centers and freak out.
Having said that, there are legitimate concerns that need to be assessed and mitigated before data enters are approved. The power demand is real and pushes up electricity rates, environmental concerns (water usage is overblown IMO, but the carbon footprint of the increased power demand is real), noise, etc.
But WhyTF does it need to built in the city limits right next to a residential area? That is a brain dead move by these data center companies. No reason not to build them out in less populated locations.
And if I were in charge, I would set a regulation that all new data centers be powered from no-carbon power sources. Wind, solar, nuclear, etc.
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