Data center regulation: Where do Aiken County governing bodies stand on restrictions?
Aiken County has approved data centers from Meta, DC BLOX and Oppidan but has not considered a moratorium or ban on additional facilities. Officials and economic development leaders say power availability may limit future projects, while concerns continue over water use, noise and environmental impacts. Nearby counties have adopted or considered restrictions, including requirements for industrial siting and water, power and noise studies.
Aiken County is home to three approved data centers: Meta’s facility under construction at Sage Mill Industrial Park near Graniteville, DC BLOX’s site in North Augusta and Oppidan’s planned facility next to Sage Mill. The projects represent nearly $1 billion in investment and received economic incentives from Aiken County. County Chairman Gary Bunker said there has been no formal discussion of a data center moratorium, while city officials in Aiken and North Augusta also reported no active proposals or debates on such a measure.
Officials said electricity availability could constrain future development, citing limited capacity on Dominion Energy’s system and through Santee Cooper-related cooperatives. Aiken County Council separately approved an ordinance restricting fossil-fuel power plants to areas zoned for industrial development. Economic development officials defended the projects’ potential benefits, while critics continue to raise concerns about water consumption, power demand, noise and transparency.
Neighboring jurisdictions have taken a more restrictive approach. Edgefield County adopted an ordinance limiting data centers to an established industrial park and requiring studies of water, power and noise impacts. McCormick County approved rezoning for a proposed data center and pipeline project despite public opposition, then postponed a separate data center regulations ordinance. Augusta and Columbia County also adopted data center siting or zoning restrictions.