Jasper County wants a 1-year freeze on data centers. What that would mean

Jasper County Council is actively considering a one-year moratorium on data center development, which unanimously passed its first reading on September 8th. This move aligns with similar proposed or enacted moratoriums in other South Carolina counties, driven by community concerns regarding the significant water and electricity demands of data centers.

Lisa Wagner, Director of Planning & Building Services, stated that the moratorium would halt the acceptance, review, or action on all data center-related applications within unincorporated areas of the county. The objective is to provide county staff with sufficient time to establish effective controls over the placement and scale of future data centers, ensuring they do not negatively impact residents, water supplies, the electric grid, or emergency services. Council Chairman Joey Rowell confirmed that no data centers are currently proposed in Jasper County.

Neighboring Beaufort County is also debating a nine-month moratorium, while Colleton County implemented a six-month moratorium in July following a data center proposal near Walterboro. The article highlights that Jasper County is among 20 South Carolina counties considering or implementing such measures or regulations.

Contextually, the article notes data center developments in other areas, including a planned OpenAI facility nicknamed "Project Camellia" in Effingham County, Georgia, requiring 3.2 gigawatts of power. Google also operates data centers in Berkeley County and recently expanded into Dorchester County, South Carolina.