COLUMBIA, S.C.
A growing number of South Carolina counties are considering pauses on data center development amid pushback from residents as no statewide rules govern the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence and digital services.
At least 15 counties have proposed or passed temporary data center moratoriums, according to an analysis of media reports, council agendas and ordinances. That’s an increase from earlier this summer, when The State reported there were at least nine counties considering a moratorium.
Mount Pleasant, a municipality in Charleston County, has also begun considering a data center moratorium, one of the first towns to do so in South Carolina.
In many cases, counties say the pauses are intended to help staff research the impact of data centers in their communities before more develop.
“This County Council shall conduct a comprehensive study of the cumulative impacts of data center development and shall bring forward a written report of its findings and policy recommendations for discussion by the Council,” the moratorium ordinance for Newberry County reads. The report will include the impact of data centers on energy resources, the environment, water supply, health and community well-being and housing prices, according to the ordinance.
In Fairfield County, which granted initial approval to a 12-month moratorium in August, are planning to research data centers over the next year through town halls, work sessions with experts and visits to existing facilities, according to a news release.
Many of the proposed temporary bans are in rural counties in South Carolina.
A few counties have proposed or discussed regulations for new data centers, including where they can be located, rather than temporarily banning them. Others just changed how data centers are zoned, which are not included in the map. Some proposals, including in Horry County, have stalled or are in very early stages.
Over the past several months, South Carolina counties have proposed and passed new rules for incoming data centers, used to power AI and other digital services.
Local governments took up moratoriums for data centers this summer after proposals to regulate the infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence and digital services stalled in the South Carolina General Assembly. Lawmakers debated multiple regulations this year, but none gained traction or advanced. A one-year water reporting requirement for data centers passed in the state’s budget.
It leaves South Carolina without any statewide plan to deal with data centers and counties with differing approaches to dealing with the infrastructure.
Large data centers are coming to and expanding in South Carolina, despite some pushback from residents. At least 20 are planned or operating in the state, though South Carolina doesn’t track the infrastructure, making it challenging to know the exact number.
Multiple industry organizations track data center development in South Carolina, including Data Center Map and Cleanview. The State used the public data, in addition to interviews, news releases, county records and media reports, to compile a map of several planned and operational data centers in South Carolina earlier this summer.
Projects vary in size. For example, a DartPoints data center has operated south of downtown Columbia for many years. The data center uses less than one megawatt of electricity, according to the company. But an under-construction Meta data center in Aiken County will likely use 200 megawatts of power, and developer NorthMark is building 450 megawatts of natural gas for its $2.8 billion Spartanburg County data center.
Several large data centers developers announced they would set up shop in South Carolina in the last few years. Here are where some currently operate and where others are planned.
More data centers could be on the way. In July, CNBC ranked South Carolina in the top 10 states best positioned for artificial intelligence data center deals. Availability of sites for data center development contributed to its ranking, in addition to water availability and competitive electric rates.
This story was originally published September 5, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Almost a third of SC counties considered temporary data center ban. Here’s where."
