Henderson-Vance FYI
What every citizen should know about data centers, water, and the future of Henderson and Vance County.
Two citizen-researched reports. 100+ cited sources. Not funded by any company, activist organization, or political campaign.
May 21, 2026
Franklin County Demands 51% Stake in Our Water System
Franklin County Manager Ryan Preble sent a formal letter to Henderson, Oxford, and Warren County demanding either a 51% ownership stake in the Kerr Lake Regional Water System or the right to expand at Franklin's cost. The letter was CC'd to the General Assembly, WRAL, the Henderson Dispatch, and multiple attorneys. Deadline to respond: June 21, 2026. We read the full letter, researched every claim, and built a complete analysis.
Read the full analysis, download the letter →May 5, 2026
The Conversation Has Been Brought to the Table
The State of Economic Development was presented to our community. We researched every claim, cited 40+ sources, and built a guide for how Vance County can make this work for us. Questions to ask, ordinances to adopt, and demands to make.
Read the full analysis →April 29, 2026
SB 214 Section 5 Has Been Removed
After roughly 100 citizens traveled to Raleigh and a press conference with 10 speakers, both chambers voted on a revised conference report without the Franklin County eminent domain provision. But House Speaker Destin Hall warned it could return if local negotiations fail. The Army Corps study continues. Remain vigilant.
Anonymous Community Poll
How does Vance County feel about data centers?
5 questions. 30 seconds. Completely anonymous. Results are public.
Change.org Petition
Stop Construction of Data Center in Henderson, NC
Community petition created by Henderson residents. Not affiliated with this site.
Past Event - April 29, 2026
Governor Stein's Rural Listening Session
Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, Henderson, NC
The Office of the Governor hosted a listening session in Henderson on April 29, the same day both chambers voted to remove Section 5 from SB 214. Department of Revenue Secretary McKinley Wooten and Office of State Budget and Management Director Kristin Walker represented Governor Stein's office.
Past Meeting - ZMA26-001 Vote
Monday, April 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Vance County Board of Commissioners, 122 Young Street, Henderson
Purpose: "Consider and take action"on the Natelli Holdings rezoning (ZMA26-001). Also streaming on YouTube. This special meeting was called with four days' notice, the legal minimum under NC open meetings law.
Meeting concluded.
Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve rezoning.
At a Glance
What's Happening
The Rezoning
Natelli Holdings LLC, a Maryland-based land developer, is seeking to rezone approximately 113 acres across three parcels from Employment and Institutional Area to Light Industrial. Combined with adjacent Triangle North parcels, the corridor totals 619 acres along US-158 Business. An additional 66-acre parcel owned by Ruth Jones-Brummitt has already been surveyed and is reportedly ready to sell upon rezoning approval, bringing the potential corridor to 685 acres. No development plan has been submitted. No end user has been named.
Natelli's Track Record
Natelli's Apex, NC proposal (250 MW, 189 acres near Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant) was withdrawn in March 2026 after 4,700 petition signatures and public opposition from a U.S. Representative. Apex then voted unanimously to draft a data center moratorium. That same developer is now asking Vance County for the same thing.
Natelli Land Assembly - Up to 685 Acres
Three Natelli rezoning parcels (cyan, ~113 acres) plus the former Triangle North Corporate Park land (yellow, ~506 acres) form a continuous 619-acre corridor along US-158 Business between I-85 and Horseshoe Bend Road, opposite the Carolina Pines neighborhood. A 66-acre parcel owned by Ruth Jones-Brummitt (shown in red) has already been surveyed and is reportedly ready to sell upon rezoning approval, bringing the potential total to 685 acres. Additional EIA-zoned parcels in the corridor could be subject to future rezoning requests.
Source: Vance County Tax Parcel Viewer (vance.ustaxdata.com)
A Second Development
A separate 700-acre ELS development is also being assembled in the county. The parcels, outlined below, sit adjacent to existing residential neighborhoods in Henderson. This is in addition to the 619-acre Natelli/Triangle North corridor along US-158 Business.
Source: Vance County Tax Parcel Viewer (vance.ustaxdata.com)
Water
A single data center using evaporative cooling consumes 300,000 to 1 million gallons per day. That water evaporates and never returns to the watershed. The Kerr Lake Regional Water System currently draws 6.9 MGD. Franklin County is simultaneously requesting 15.7 MGD from the same reservoir. No federal entity is modeling the cumulative demand.
Power & Your Bill
Duke Energy has filed for a combined $1.7 billion rate increase across its NC subsidiaries, adding $17-$28/month to residential bills. In Virginia, where data centers consume 26% of electricity, Dominion customers are paying $16/month more, projected to reach $37/month by 2040.
Jobs
Permanent operational staff at a typical data center: 30 to 200 people. Apple's $1 billion Maiden, NC facility employs fewer than 50. The subsidy package totaled $321 million, or $6.4 million per permanent job. Of 36 states with data center incentives, 16 have no minimum job creation requirement.
Tax Breaks
North Carolina's data center tax exemptions have no job requirement, no expiration, and no sunset. NC is one of only seven states where the exemption never ends. The state currently loses $45-57 million per year in foregone revenue. Virginia's exemption now costs $1.6 billion annually.
April 6, 2026
What Citizens Said
Approximately 150 residents attended the Board of Commissioners meeting. The overflow crowd filled the stairwell. More than 20 citizens spoke during the public hearing. Every speaker from the community opposed the rezoning except two.
Tyler Matthews
Watkins community
Provided the most detailed water analysis. A data center would add 4-15% to the regional system's daily draw. That water evaporates.
Natalie Stone
NC State University
Broke down the power math. Kerr Lake Dam generates 227 MW. The Apex project Natelli withdrew was 300 MW. Once operational, actual consumption becomes confidential.
Garland Askew
Carolina Pines
Mapped the impact zones: 110 homes within a half-mile. Dabney Elementary, VGCC, Henderson Country Club, and 217 homes in Huntstone within two miles.
Full Reports
Read Everything
Both reports are free to download, share, and print. They are compiled from public records, county meeting transcripts, investigative journalism, government reports, and peer-reviewed research.
New - April 2026
Data Centers and Vance County
What every citizen should know before the next vote.
69 cited sources. Includes Vance County Board of Commissioners and Henderson City Council meeting analysis.
March 2026
Kerr Lake, Data Centers, and the Case for Recreation
A resource analysis for Vance County and the Kerr-Tar region.
48 cited sources. Updated with findings from the March 26, 2026 USACE NEPA Public Scoping Session.
Share These
Key Facts - Visual Cards
Save and share these on social media, print them out, or text them to your neighbors. Right-click or long-press to save any image.
March 26, 2026
USACE NEPA Scoping Meeting
Photos from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers NEPA Public Scoping Session at the Warren County Armory Civic Center. The Corps is evaluating Franklin County's request for 15.7 million gallons per day from Kerr Lake's conservation pool.
Lessons
What Other Communities Did
Some communities rejected data center proposals. Others negotiated terms that turned a potential threat into measurable benefit. Both approaches offer lessons for Vance County.
Communities That Set Boundaries
| Community | What Happened | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Apex, NC | Natelli withdrew after 4,700 petition signatures | Moratorium drafted |
| Port Washington, WI | First anti-data center referendum in U.S., 66% voted yes | Large tax breaks now require voter approval |
| Tucson, AZ | City council unanimously rejected Amazon "Project Blue" | Water concerns were deciding factor |
| Warrenton, VA | Residents voted out all council members who supported rezoning | New council reversed course |
Communities That Negotiated Well
| Community | What They Demanded | What They Got |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Wage floor + performance-linked tax break | 70% exemption only if 31+ jobs at $26.20/hr minimum; $18M community fund over 18 years |
| Lancaster, PA | Hard water cap | 20,000 gallons/day maximum in writing |
| Richmond Co., NC | Infrastructure investment | $1.5M fire station, two trucks, fiber/water upgrades county-wide, workforce pipeline with community college |
| Lea County, NM | Comprehensive policy before any developer arrived | Closed-loop cooling required, no rate increases, mandatory decommissioning, PILOT payments to all taxing entities |
Stay Involved
Upcoming Meetings
Board of Commissioners
First Monday at 6 PM, 122 Young Street
May 4 · Jun 1 · Jul 6 · Aug 3 · Sep 14
vancecounty.org for agendas
Henderson City Council
Second Monday at 6 PM, 134 Rose Avenue
May 11 · Jun 8 · Jul 13 · Aug 10 · Sep 14
henderson.nc.gov for agendas
Your Representatives
Elected Officials
These are the people who represent you at the county, city, state, and federal level. Their contact information is public record.
Vance County Board of Commissioners
122 Young Street, Suite B, Henderson, NC 27536 · 252-738-2001
| Name | District | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolyn Faines (Chair) | 1 | 252-433-8018 | cfaines@vancecounty.org |
| Valencia Louise Perry | 2 | 252-432-5577 | vperry@vancecounty.org |
| Charisse Fain (Vice-Chair) | 3 | 252-767-1563 | cfain@vancecounty.org |
| Dan Brummitt | 4 | 252-432-4774 | dbrummitt@vancecounty.org |
| Leo Kelly, Jr. | 5 | 252-767-7957 | lkellyjr@nc.rr.com |
| Yolanda J. Feimster | 6 | 252-431-7579 | yfeimster@aol.com |
| Thomas S. Hester, Jr. | 7 | 252-738-9771 | tshester@ncol.net |
Henderson City Council
134 Rose Avenue, Henderson, NC · Second Monday at 6 PM
| Name | Seat | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geraldine Champion | Ward 1 | 984-331-6241 | GeraldineChampion@henderson.nc.gov |
| Sam Seifert | Ward 2 | 336-406-8623 | SamSeifert@henderson.nc.gov |
| Garry D. Daeke | Ward 3 | 252-432-3145 | GarryDaeke@henderson.nc.gov |
| Catherine Miles Gill | Ward 4 | 252-767-7524 | CatherinGill@henderson.nc.gov |
| Kenia Gomez-Jimenez | At-Large | 252-915-8281 | KeniaGomezJimenez@henderson.nc.gov |
| Lamont Noel | At-Large | 252-432-0884 | LamontNoel@henderson.nc.gov |
| Michael Venable (Mayor Pro Tem) | At-Large | 252-915-5933 | MichaelVenable@henderson.nc.gov |
| Tami Walker (Mayor Pro Tem) | At-Large | 252-572-4125 | TamiWalker@henderson.nc.gov |
State & Federal Representatives
NC Senate - District 11
Sen. Lisa S. Barnes
Franklin, Nash, Vance counties
919-715-3030
lisa.barnes@ncleg.govNC House - District 7
Rep. Matthew Winslow
Franklin, Vance (partial)
919-715-3032
matthew.winslow@ncleg.govU.S. House - District 1
Rep. Don Davis
Eastern NC incl. Vance, Warren, Halifax
202-225-3101 (DC) · 252-999-7600 (Rocky Mount)
dondavis.house.govDo Your Own Research
Resources & Links
Public records, government agencies, and research organizations referenced in the reports. Go straight to the source.