Wake County, North Carolina · 2025–2026
The project that died by petition.
2025
Natelli Investments files for 250 MW on residential farmland
Natelli Investments proposes a 250 MW data center campus on 190 acres of Wake County farmland in the New Hill community near Apex, NC. The land is zoned residential and agricultural — not industrial. A 250 MW facility is a utility-scale power draw that requires rezoning, public hearings, and commission approval.
approx.After Filing
Protect Wake County Coalition forms
Local residents and community organizations form the Protect Wake County Coalition. The coalition collects over 5,000 petition signatures opposing the data center — evidence of deep, organized community opposition that would face the developer at every hearing.
December 2025
Gates County enacts North Carolina's first county data center moratorium
Gates County, NC becomes the first county in North Carolina to enact a data center moratorium — a clear signal that the legislative environment across the state is moving against data center development on rural and agricultural land. This precedent directly threatens any NC application with similar site characteristics.
March 2026
Natelli withdraws before a single vote is cast
Natelli Investments withdraws the application in March 2026. The project never received a planning commission vote, a board of commissioners vote, or a public hearing decision. The withdrawal is driven by the 5,000-signature petition, the organized coalition, and the increasingly hostile legislative environment.
Same Week
Apex Town Council votes unanimously to draft a moratorium
In the same week as Natelli's withdrawal, the Apex Town Council votes unanimously to draft a data center moratorium. The connection is explicit: community opposition to the Natelli proposal catalyzed a jurisdiction-wide legislative response that would have blocked the project even if Natelli had proceeded.
The Fatal Constraint
Residential Zoning + Industrial Use
190 acres of Wake County farmland zoned residential cannot accommodate a 250 MW data center as a by-right use. The entire project required rezoning — a public, discretionary process in a community that was already organized and opposed before the first hearing was scheduled.
The Community Signal
5,000+ Signatures Before Any Vote
The Protect Wake County Coalition collected over 5,000 petition signatures before the project ever reached a planning commission meeting. This level of organized opposition is a near-certain predictor of denial — or, as happened here, withdrawal before the developer suffers a public defeat.
The Legislative Trigger
NC Moratorium Precedent
Gates County's December 2025 moratorium was the first in North Carolina — and it validated the political playbook for every other county considering how to handle data center pressure on rural land. Apex's move to draft a moratorium the same week as Natelli's withdrawal follows a pattern that was fully predictable from comparable analysis.
The Power Problem
250 MW — Utility-Scale Load
250 MW is more power than many mid-sized NC towns consume. A residential farmland site near Apex is unlikely to have the transmission infrastructure to support this load. Grid capacity constraints compound the zoning barriers before the political risk is even considered.
Documented Record
The Protect Wake County Coalition collected over 5,000 petition signatures before the project reached a planning commission hearing. Natelli withdrew the application before a public vote. The Town of Apex moved to draft a data center moratorium the same week.