GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – The debate on bringing a crypto plant to the area continues and at the center of this is the city and some residents.
Since 2021, the Greenville ENC Alliance has been working on a modular data processing project. The $55 million investment would be coming from a Minnesota company, Compute North.
“It sets us up to be able to recruit other technical companies to come into Greenville that offer higher-paying jobs, higher-skilled jobs to be able to increase the income base and tax base here in our community,” said Unconda Dunn, vice president of Business Development for the City of Greenville.
Although city officials are in favor of Compute North coming to Pitt County, residents are pushing back.
“It’s data mining and mining means that you take something in this case energy, and that’s a lot of it and you don’t replace it with a tangible product, with jobs, with tax revenue, or even a stem center in a school or a medical clinic, or goodwill in the community,” said concerned Pitt County resident Molly Holdeman.
While Greenville Alliance said the business would be located in an industrial zone, residents said that doesn’t help the concern over noise and energy being consumed as well as the possibility of increasing energy bills.
“We will comply with all local ordinances and will submit an acoustic study and related sound model with their permit application,” said Compute North in a statement.
Greenville City Council will meet on Jan. 13 to hear citizens’ concerns and vote on possible zoning changes that would permit the building of the plant.