North Carolina Legislature tests governor with data center bill

May 29, 2026

North Carolina lawmakers are putting Democratic Gov. Josh Stein in a bind.

The Republican-controlled Legislature is set next week to review a GOP-sponsored proposal that would slap new restrictions on data centers — a move supported by Stein and his Democratic allies in the General Assembly. But the “Ratepayer Protection Act” includes two provisions that critics worry could undermine the first-term governor’s clean energy and climate goals.

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