Duke Energy
Investor-owned utility
Coverage (3 articles)
Charlotte Water Moves to Mandatory Restrictions Friday. Firethorne's Watering Window Is Now Two Days a Week.
Charlotte Water moves to mandatory restrictions Friday, May 15, under Stage 2 of the Low Inflow Protocol. Firethorne's irrigation window drops to two days a week, overnight only.
Charlotte Just Tied 5-5 on Data Center Rules. Why Firethorne Should Pay Attention.
Charlotte's data center moratorium hearing failed 5-5 with Mayor Lyles breaking the tie no. Firethorne is in Union County, but data centers are basin-scale and grid-scale. Three things to know about water, power, and zoning.
Stage 1 Drought Hits the Catawba-Wateree Basin. What Firethorne Needs to Know.
The Catawba-Wateree Basin entered Stage 1 of its regional drought protocol Monday, triggering Charlotte Water's first voluntary restrictions since 2023. Out here in Firethorne, the response runs through whichever utility serves your home — but the drought is shared, and the basin-wide thinking is worth knowing either way.
Other coverage in the Mercury Local network
On Data Centers, Mecklenburg County Wants a Voice It Mostly Doesn't Have
Mecklenburg commissioners got a deliberately neutral briefing on data centers at their May 19 meeting and signaled they want a position on the fast-growing industry. The catch: under North Carolina law, nearly all the zoning power belongs to the cities, not the county.
Mandatory Water Restrictions Begin Friday in Charlotte. The Five-Stage Protocol Behind Them.
Day-of guide to Charlotte's first mandatory Stage 2 restrictions since 2009: the rules, the five-stage Low Inflow Protocol behind them, the burn ban that arrived with them, and what's enforceable Friday.
Charlotte Council Votes Unanimously for 150-Day Data Center Moratorium. Two Weeks Ago, It Was 5-5.
Two weeks after a 5-5 deadlock that required Mayor Vi Lyles to break the tie, Charlotte City Council voted unanimously Monday night to schedule a public hearing on a 150-day moratorium on new data center approvals. The hearing is set for May 26. Council could adopt the moratorium as early as June 8.
The Drought Escalated. Ballantyne's Watering Schedule Just Got Mandatory.
Charlotte Water's voluntary drought restrictions are being replaced with mandatory rules on Friday, May 15. Ballantyne's irrigation schedule is now two days per week, overnight only, and fines start at $100.
Mandatory Water Restrictions Start Friday. What Fourth Ward Residents Need to Know.
Charlotte Water's mandatory Stage 2 restrictions take effect Friday, May 15. For Fourth Ward, the biggest direct impacts hit power washing, decorative water features, and the neighborhood's irrigation schedule.
Charlotte Water Escalates to Mandatory Restrictions as Drought Reaches Stage 2
Charlotte Water escalates to Stage 2 of the Low Inflow Protocol on Friday, May 15 — the first mandatory water restrictions since 2009. The region has reached exceptional drought for the first time since 2008.
A 2.5-Million-Square-Foot Data Center Is Going Up off University City Boulevard.
The Charlotte City Council deadlocked 5-5 Monday night on whether to even schedule a public hearing on a temporary moratorium for new data center approvals. Mayor Vi Lyles broke the tie, voting no. Meanwhile a 2.5-million-square-foot, 300-megawatt data center campus is going up at 10800 University City Boulevard — and under Charlotte's current zoning, the council had no role in approving it.
Charlotte's Voluntary Water Restrictions: What They Mean for Fourth Ward HOAs and Condo Boards
Charlotte Water's voluntary restrictions and the citywide burn ban both took effect this week. In Fourth Ward, the practical effect runs through HOAs and condo boards as much as individual units — and the burn ban's 100-foot rule changes more than it might look like.