Heavy hitters join the environmental fight in lower South Carolina

Local residents and prominent environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club of South Carolina and Savannah Riverkeeper, are actively opposing three major projects proposed for the rural South Carolina Lowcountry. These projects include a large 800-plus acre data center, a natural gas power plant in the Canadys area of Colleton County, and a 70-plus mile underground gas pipeline traversing Hampton and Colleton counties. Savannah Riverkeeper Executive Director Tonya Bonitatibus has hosted community meetings in Hampton County to educate landowners on their rights, while the group also conducts virtual sessions to guide residents on how to voice concerns during public hearings and to state and federal agencies. The Public Service Commission (PSC) held public hearings in March and April regarding the Canadys gas plant, drawing over 100 residents who expressed worries about air pollution, industrialization, and project costs. The Sierra Club, a long-standing environmental organization, issued a release linking the proposed power plant to the anticipated increase in AI data centers in the region, criticizing the projected costs that would be passed on to Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper customers. Paul Black, Sierra Club’s Senior Campaign Organizer for the Carolinas, stated that utilities should not make multi-billion dollar investments based on unconfirmed data center plans and urged the retirement of existing coal plants if the Canadys plant is approved.