Protect Wake County (NC) Coalition Meeting Rallies Over 100 Residents to Oppose Proposed Apex Data Center

Community members call for transparency, accountability, and responsible growth as rezoning process advances

Apex, NC, Oct. 28, 2025 — More than a hundred residents and a handful of officials from Apex, New Hill, and surrounding communities filled a local meeting space Sunday night for the Protect Wake County Coalition (PWCC)’s (website) October 26th gathering, an event that organizers described as both a teach-in and a rallying point for growing public opposition to the proposed New Hill Digital Campus, an approximate 190-acre data-center project under review for annexation and rezoning by the Town of Apex.

The developer, Natelli Investments LLC, has applied to annex the site into Apex’s jurisdiction and rezone it from residential (R-30) to Light Industrial Conditional Zoning (LI-CZ) to construct a 300-megawatt data-center complex composed of multiple large buildings up to 75 feet tall, a substation, and about 80 diesel backup generators, each rated around three megawatts. (Document: Rezone Application)

Cooling water would primarily come from the Western Wake Water Reclamation Facility, adjacent to the property, with municipal potable water used during maintenance or peak-demand periods. Duke Energy would supply electricity, while Apex would provide water and sewer services, a point of contention for opponents who argue that any annexed property should use all town-provided utilities.

A Unified Message: Responsible Growth Matters

The meeting opened with an overview of PWCC’s mission: advocating “responsible growth” while pressing for greater transparency in how large industrial projects intersect with local infrastructure, environment, and public health. Organizers reviewed what they called the evening's core purpose: to debrief residents on recent Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) developments, explain the rezoning process, and mobilize volunteers to sustain momentum through 2026.

Speakers emphasized civility and focus in opposition: “Show up and wear red, be informed about the facts, and never say ‘not in my backyard,’” one slide read, underscoring PWCC’s effort to frame the movement as proactive rather than reactionary.

Rezoning and Review Process

Attendees were briefed on how the proposed data center rezoning (Case 25CZ14) moves through Apex’s regulatory process, from Technical Review Committee (TRC) meetings and neighborhood sessions to Planning Board and Town Council hearings. According to Coalition materials, public hearings could begin by spring 2026, with earlier working sessions and comment opportunities starting soon.

Organizers urged residents to use the timeline to their advantage, preparing testimony, sharing verified information, and maintaining a strong, visible presence in red at every meeting.

Background: What a Data Center Is and What It Does

A data center is essentially a giant, high-security computer warehouse. Inside are long rows of powerful servers, computers that store and process digital information for everything from banking transactions and emails to video streaming services and artificial-intelligence tools.

Each of those machines runs nonstop, producing significant heat and consuming large amounts of electricity and cooling water. Because outages aren’t an option, data centers rely on backup diesel or natural-gas generators, massive batteries, and redundant power systems to keep everything online 24/7.

In simple terms:

A data center is the physical home of “the cloud”—the infrastructure that makes modern digital life possible.

While the servers themselves handle most of the work automatically, these sites are built on an industrial scale. Facilities can span hundreds of acres, with buildings resembling windowless warehouses surrounded by cooling towers, generators, transformers, and security fencing. They typically employ only a small on-site staff, mostly technicians, security personnel, and maintenance workers, but require substantial power, water, and land to operate efficiently.

That reality, several speakers said, is why residents should pay attention. The New Hill Digital Campus would reportedly include multiple buildings, dozens of diesel generators, and cooling systems pulling from the Western Wake Water Reclamation Facility, prompting questions about water rights, emissions, and infrastructure costs.

Understanding the Scale

Coalition members used images and local comparisons to help visualize what the proposed 300-megawatt facility might look like, roughly the energy demand of a small city. The proposed approximately 190-acre site, located between Old U.S. 1 and the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant, is nearly twice the size of Apex Community Park, roughly equal to the combined acreage of Apex High and Apex Friendship High, or one large Bella Casa-sized neighborhood.

Residents expressed concern that the project’s sheer scale could transform the rural character of southern Wake County and strain shared infrastructure serving Apex and Cary.

Utilities and Accountability

One of the night’s most discussed topics was utility alignment. Coalition materials alleged that the developer, Natelli Investments LLC, seeks annexation primarily to access Apex’s water and sewer services while purchasing electricity from Duke Energy for long-term rate advantages.

“Property requesting town annexation shouldn’t be allowed to cherry-pick utilities,” one slide stated. “If you request annexation for a data-center zoning, you should use all town-provided utilities”

Speakers also questioned liability if the facility were abandoned, warning that the town could face cleanup or remediation costs “when the music stops.”

Health, Air Quality, and Regional Impact

Echoing remarks from the October 14 Apex Town Council meeting, participants cited scientist Michelle O’Connor’s detailed warning about diesel emissions, especially fine particulate matter, that can enter the bloodstream and even the brain. At that meeting, O’Connor urged the council to require cleaner backup power alternatives and to conduct air-quality modeling before any approvals.

A resident added that the data-center decision cannot be viewed in isolation. “We’re not talking about what’s happening in Holly Springs one mile away or in Chatham County one mile away,” she said. “We need to sit down and have a collaborative discussion with our neighbors.”

Broader National Context

While Sunday’s meeting focused squarely on local impacts, the situation in Apex reflects a growing national trend.

Across the country, community coalitions have mobilized against large-scale data center developments, citing concerns about energy demand, water use, and industrial siting near residential areas. According to Data Center Watch, more than $60 billion in data-center projects have been delayed or blocked nationwide as local residents and municipalities seek clearer standards for zoning, environmental review, and utility planning.

In Indianapolis, Google recently withdrew a rezoning request for a 400-acre campus following widespread opposition, echoing patterns seen in several states where residents organized around similar environmental and transparency concerns.

At the same time, though, reports from Fast Company, CoreSite, and the AAAS EPI-Center note that when designed with strong sustainability and infrastructure safeguards, data centers can contribute positively to local economies, generating construction jobs, tax revenue, and faster digital connectivity.

The Apex debate, then, is not an outlier. It is part of a broader national conversation about how to balance the digital economy’s growing physical footprint with environmental responsibility and community well-being.

What’s Next for PWCC

PWCC leaders closed by calling for continued community engagement:

“Our fight is far from over, and your presence matters.”

The next opportunity, they reminded attendees, is tonight, October 28th, at 6 p.m. at Apex Town Hall. Residents are encouraged to attend in red, bring neighbors, and show unity at every public hearing.

The coalition’s website, protectwakecounty.org, provides volunteer sign-ups, petitions, contact templates, and a growing library of resources.

“Together,” organizers concluded, “we can stand for responsible growth and protect our community.”