Project Delta: Proposed Data Centers in Stokes County (now approved)
Project Delta is a data center complex proposed by Engineered Land Solutions.
Where would it be? 1800 acres of land on the Dan River, where highway 311 crosses the Dan. Property next to Belews Creek coal plant.
Developer’s website on this project: projectdeltanc.com
The Stokes County Commissioners are considering whether to approve the 1,800-acre Project Delta Data Center. They are holding a public hearing Jan. 12. You can learn more about that here.
Why are Stokes County residents concerned?
- This data center is a threat to local history and heritage, it would be on land that was Upper Saura Town and that has a historic home of the Hairston family.
- The Saura site is also culturally relevant to the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.
- This data center is SPECULATIVE there is no tech company lined up to buy or use this data center, no guarantee this investment pans out. Many economists are warning of an AI bubble, what happens to this project if the bubble pops before they are through?
- The data center would run on methane gas generators while they wait in line to connect to Duke Energy’s grid… unclear how long! Generators are loud and pollute the air.
- Data centers don’t employ many people long term and are one reason electric bills are rising 2x faster than inflation.
- This data center would be on the banks of the Dan River, construction could cause pollution of the Dan.
- This data center does not align with the Stokes County 2035 Land Use Plan, which designates this area for low-density residential use and conservation, not large-scale industrial development. (pg. 81)
What are local residents asking Stokes County Commissioners to do?
- Deny the rezoning request for Project Delta Data Center!
- A moratorium on data centers in Stokes County. This would give the county time to study their impacts and have strong public engagement on whether data centers fit with the 2035 Land Use Plan and character of Stokes County.
- Partnership with community members and DFC Stokes LLC to come together on a more stable and sustainable use for the land currently under consideration for rezoning. This land is important to Stokes County’s history, the Saura People, the Hairston and Sally Blagg descendants, and for protecting the Dan River.
Data Center Updates & Upcoming Events
Despite strong opposition from the Walnut Cove and Stokes Community, the County commissioners approved the data center rezoning in a vote of 3-2.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Southern Environmental Law Center have filed a lawsuit over the Stokes County Data Center Rezoning, along with the help of other community groups and Walnut Cove Residents. Learn more and read the full complaint here
CWFNC will start having monthly virtual community calls to inform the Stokes Community of any updates and action items community members can take, regarding the data center and other potential development projects for Stokes County. Our next virtual meeting will be on April 16th at 6pm.
If you’re interested in joining these future calls or being part of a potential core group, email Erika at erika@cwfnc.org
Spread the Word
Resources to educate your neighbors:
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- Flyer with talking points: Did you know a data center is proposed in Walnut Cove?
- Data Center Buffer map to show distance around the perimeter of land parcels: Stokes Data Center Buffer Map
- Stokes County Economic Action Plan
- Stokes County 2035 Vision Plan
Share information on social media:
- Local Facebook group: Stokes County Character Preservation
Comments(2)
Wanda Wall says:
December 20, 2025 at 10:46 amTotally against
Mike Hobert says:
December 24, 2025 at 5:43 pmWhere can I find a detailed map of the proposed development area?