SC Public Service Commission dismisses challenge to Spartanburg County data center project
The South Carolina Public Service Commission has dismissed a challenge against the Valera data center in Spartanburg County. Residents, represented by the SC Environmental Law Center, argued Valera was building a natural gas plant without state approval. The commission ruled it lacked jurisdiction, stating Valera, as a private entity, is not subject to certain state utility rules.
The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed a challenge related to the Valera data center project in Spartanburg County, a decision that has deeply disappointed local residents and the South Carolina Environmental Law Center. The dispute centered on the Valera data center's construction of a natural gas-fired power plant to serve its facility on South Pine Street, with the Environmental Law Center arguing that the company failed to comply with state requirements for such a plant.
Residents had appealed to the PSC to review this argument, while Valera maintained that it did not require commission approval because it is a private company generating private energy. The commission sided with Valera, ruling that it does not have jurisdiction over the matter and that Valera, as a private business, is not subject to certain state utility rules.
In response, Valera stated its continued focus on the work ahead and its commitment to engaging with the community. Conversely, the group of residents involved in the lawsuit expressed "complete and total disappointment," asserting that "state-level protection of residents no longer exists under the PSC" following this ruling.