Spartanburg County Council advances 12-month data center moratorium amidst election concerns

Spartanburg County Council in South Carolina passed the first reading of an ordinance for a 12-month moratorium on new data centers on June 22, with no dissenting votes. The proposed moratorium, which requires three readings to be enacted, aims to hold in abeyance all new data center development applications. This action follows similar moves by other South Carolina governments, such as Greenwood County, in response to the high power and water consumption of data centers and a lack of state-level regulations. The moratorium, however, does not impact the existing NorthMark data center on Pine Street.

The timing of the vote, held at 9 a.m. the day before a Republican Primary runoff election, sparked accusations of a "sham" and "election influence" from residents like Mike Behnke, who was escorted out after an outburst. Incumbent council members Jack Mabry and Jessica Coker, who had previously approved tax incentives for the NorthMark and defunct TigerDC data centers, are facing challengers campaigning on transparency and data center opposition. Council members, including Coker, stated the moratorium was prompted by a recent land development permit application for a data center at 300 Jones Road, which sought no local tax incentives.

While Alex Turner, Coker's opponent, supports the moratorium, he views the timing as an "election stunt." Councilmember Grant DeShields, who helped draft the ordinance, expressed disappointment over the state Legislature's lack of guidance, forcing the county to act. He indicated that the council does not intend to permanently ban data centers but seeks to research appropriate future locations within the county. Councilmember Paul Abbott clarified that the council acted once the potential for a new data center without incentives became clear, denying the vote was election-related.