AI Data Center Revolt Tour makes a stop in Spartanburg
The "AI Data Center Revolt Tour" made a stop in Spartanburg, SC, where the organization "Humans First" protested a proposed 450-megawatt data center. Opponents expressed concerns over a lack of local control, property rights, and transparency regarding the project's scale and end-users in an area with potentially weak zoning laws. Local representatives supported calls for more information from the project's leaders.
The "AI Data Center Revolt Tour," organized by the group "Humans First," made its sixth stop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to protest a proposed 450-megawatt data center. The organization advocates for an "America First" policy and calls for an end to hyper-scaled AI data centers, demanding "guardrails and transparency with human beings in control."
Speakers at the event highlighted concerns that corporations are exploiting counties with weak zoning laws and using shell companies, making it difficult for locals to identify the ultimate end-users and the true scale of proposed projects. A local representative expressed that residents lack sufficient information to make informed decisions about developments entering their community, noting that the Spartanburg project was initially presented as a computing facility, but its full scope became clear only later.
Leaders associated with the data center project have faced criticism regarding inconsistencies in information provided about health, well-being, and job creation. Initially announced as a $2.8 million investment, the project now reportedly expects 150 permanent on-site jobs at full operation. Residents of Spartanburg are seeking more control over whether such data centers can be established in their area.