Nothing reported in Unincorporated McDowell County yet
Who decides here: the McDowell County Board of Commissioners decides on zoning for land outside city and town limits.
Local votes and rules
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
McDowell County commissioners held a special meeting on Aug. 31, 2026 with a public hearing and a vote on a proposed data center pause. A local paper reports a unanimous six-month pause, but we could not open that report.
Aug 31, 2026Source
Built & runningBeing builtApproved, not built yetProposedStopped or cancelled
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Unincorporated McDowell County. - Go to county meetings.
Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing. - Ask questions in writing.
Use our checklist.
🔔 Get told first
⚡ Your electric company
Depending on where you live in Unincorporated McDowell County: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (company) or French Broad Electric Member Corp. (co-op (owned by its members)) or Duke Energy Progress (company) or Rutherford Electric Member Corp. (co-op (owned by its members)).
Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in North Carolina.