County snapshot · records read 2026-11-09

Data center siting snapshot: Catawba County, North Carolina

What public records show about building a data center in Catawba County: local and state data center rules, mapped high-voltage lines and the utilities on record. Every line links its source.

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Mapped 230 kV+ line in county
122.6 mi
500 kV+: 11.4 · 345 kV: 0.0 · 230 kV: 111.2 mi
Named 230 kV+ line endpoints
2
Usually substations or switchyards (inferred)
Local data center rule records
0
State/utility records: 3

Line miles are measured from the archived HIFLD Transmission Lines layer inside the Census county boundary. Mapped lines are not available capacity.

What the public record shows

The archived HIFLD map indicates approximately 122.6 miles of 230 kV-and-above transmission line within Catawba County, North Carolina [1]. This total includes 11.4 miles at 500 kV or more and 111.2 miles at 230 kV [1]. The map shows about 0.0 miles of 115–161 kV line in the county [2]. Duke Energy Carolinas is the owner of record with the most mapped 115 kV+ line miles [3]. Two named line endpoints touching 230 kV+ lines are mapped inside the county [4]. Retail electric utilities with mapped service territory covering part of the county include Duke Energy Carolinas, Energyunited Electric Membership Corporation, Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation, and the City of Newton [5].

Our records hold no county- or city-level data center moratorium or ordinance for Catawba County as of 2026-11-09 [6]. At the state level, HB 1002, the Rate Payer Protection Act, is pending with a date of 2025-04-14 [7]. HB 638, the Equitable Escalation of Electricity Demand Act, is also pending, dated 2025-04-02 [8]. SB 774, which proposed authority to prohibit or regulate cryptocurrency mining in specific counties, failed on 2024-04-30 [9].

Drafted by our local model from the numbered facts below, then checked sentence by sentence by a second model and a rules-based check.

Data center rules on record

JurisdictionRecordStatusDateSource
North CarolinaHB 1002 (2025-2026), Rate Payer Protection Actpending2025-04-14House Bill 1002 (2025-2026 Session) - Rate Payer Protection Act, ncleg.gov Bill Status
North CarolinaHB 638 (2025-2026), Equitable Escalation of Electricity Demand Actpending2025-04-02House Bill 638 (2025-2026 Session) - Equitable Escalation of Electricity Demand Act, ncleg.gov Bill Status
North CarolinaSB 774 (2023-2024)failed2024-04-30Senate Bill 774 (2023-2024 Session) - Prohibit Crypto-Mining as Authorized Use, ncleg.gov Bill Status

Rule records come from The MW Desk legislation tracker, which includes rows from the Moratorium Nation dataset by Michael J. Bommarito (CC BY 4.0). Statuses change; confirm with the jurisdiction's own record.

Utilities on record

Duke Energy Carolinas, Energyunited Electric Membership Corporation, Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation, City of Newton (NC). (HIFLD/EIA-861 territory polygons; approximate and often overlapping.)

Market context on The MW Desk: The Carolinas (Charlotte, Triangle, Upstate SC).

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Sources

  1. [1] The archived HIFLD map shows about 122.6 miles of 230 kV-and-above transmission line inside Catawba County, NC: 11.4 miles at 500 kV or more, 0.0 miles at 345 kV and 111.2 miles at 230 kV. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
  2. [2] The same map shows about 0.0 miles of 115–161 kV line in the county. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
  3. [3] Owners of record with the most mapped 115 kV+ line miles in the county: Duke Energy Carolinas. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
  4. [4] 2 named line endpoints touching 230 kV+ lines (usually substations or switchyards) are mapped inside the county. Source: HIFLD Transmission Lines (archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
  5. [5] Retail electric utilities whose mapped service territory covers part of the county include: Duke Energy Carolinas, Energyunited Electric Membership Corporation, Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation, City of Newton (NC). Territory boundaries are approximate. Source: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (EIA-861 based; archived by SeerAI, CC BY 4.0)
  6. [6] Our records hold no county- or city-level data center moratorium or ordinance for Catawba County as of 2026-11-09. Source: The MW Desk legislation tracker
  7. [7] North Carolina state/utility level, North Carolina: HB 1002 (2025-2026), Rate Payer Protection Act. Status: pending, dated 2025-04-14. Source: House Bill 1002 (2025-2026 Session) - Rate Payer Protection Act, ncleg.gov Bill Status
  8. [8] North Carolina state/utility level, North Carolina: HB 638 (2025-2026), Equitable Escalation of Electricity Demand Act. Status: pending, dated 2025-04-02. Source: House Bill 638 (2025-2026 Session) - Equitable Escalation of Electricity Demand Act, ncleg.gov Bill Status
  9. [9] North Carolina state/utility level, North Carolina: SB 774 (2023-2024) (Local bill for Henderson, Polk, and Rutherford Counties and municipalities in those counties; proposed authority to prohibit or regulate cryptocurrency mining through new G.S. 160D-916.1). Status: failed, dated 2024-04-30. Source: Senate Bill 774 (2023-2024 Session) - Prohibit Crypto-Mining as Authorized Use, ncleg.gov Bill Status