Colleton County considers moratorium on data centers

Colleton County Council in South Carolina is currently deliberating a temporary moratorium on the approval and development of new artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. This consideration was prompted by environmental concerns surrounding a proposed 800-plus-acre data center slated for construction near Walterboro, within the ecologically sensitive ACE Basin watershed. Opponents, including the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), highlight data centers' significant energy and water demands, which they argue could severely strain local resources and industrialize the protected ACE Basin. The council's Monday, May 4 meeting agenda includes the "First Reading of An Ordinance Imposing a Moratorium" on data center land use and development approvals. Attorney Robby Maynor, Advocacy Associate for the SELC, expressed cautious optimism regarding this step. This local initiative follows similar legislative efforts at the state level in the S.C. Legislature and a proposed "Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act" introduced in the U.S. Senate, both currently pending approval. Adding to the debate, the SELC recently filed a complaint in state court on behalf of Colleton County residents. This lawsuit challenges a recently enacted zoning ordinance that permits data centers in rural county areas via a "special exception," alleging it violates state law and the county's comprehensive plan. Environmental groups like the Coastal Conservation League warn that the proposed data center, alongside a major power plant and natural gas pipeline, would fundamentally alter the ACE Basin, widely recognized as a significant conservation success story.