Advocate addresses proposed legislation on data center growth in SC

CHARLOTTE — Lawmakers in South Carolina are considering several bills that address data centers, as advocates push for stronger rules to protect water and energy resources and ensure regular utility customers are not stuck paying for the rapid growth.

There are three bills in the South Carolina Senate focused on addressing water and energy concerns around data centers.

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“One thing we are hoping to get as a part of legislation is transparency,” said John Brooker, Conservation Voters of South Carolina.

Brooker said he has heard that counties and cities across the state calling for more input on data centers.

That’s why Brooker said he’s been working with lawmakers to draft new requirements for water and energy efficiency, as well as rules to ensure any data center that comes to town will be a good neighbor.

“I think regardless of your party, folks are hearing from their constituents that they’re concerned about data centers,” he said. “Whether it’s their electric bills going up, in general, or whether it’s a specific data center that’s citing in their county, folks are concerned and want to ensure there are guardrails in place.”

The bills include stricter rules on where data centers can be built, for contracts to ensure they pay their fair share for any upgrades to the power grid. It also has requirements that data centers must publicly report how much water and energy they use.

Brooker said that as more projects crop up, he hopes these guidelines will help weed out bad actors.

“We’re really seeing this boom happen, right now, as we speak, so action is needed now,” Brooker said. “Not in 2027 when the horse has proverbially left the barn.”

Sources told Channel 9 that at least one of the bills is expected to make it to the Senate floor in the next week.

The bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, but it’s unclear if that will carry over to the House.

Channel 9 reached out to representatives for the data center industry, but they said they were unable to meet our deadline. Channel 9 has heard from a developer’s attorney in York County that their client is willing to meet all sound and water protection guidelines.