Beaufort County officials consider proactive data center regulations
Beaufort County officials are proactively considering new regulations and zoning changes for data centers, despite no current applications. The discussion was spurred by concerns about energy and water consumption, influenced by other counties' experiences with data center growth. Council members aim to establish parameters before potential proposals emerge.
The Beaufort County Council's Natural Resources Committee is proactively considering new regulations to control potential data center development within the county. Although no applications for AI server farms currently exist, council members, spurred by discussions at the South Carolina Association of Counties meeting, are keen to establish parameters for such facilities, addressing concerns like high energy and water consumption.
Councilman Joe Passiment emphasized the need for proactive measures given the prevalence of data centers across the state and nation. Committee Chairman York Glover called for a fact-based approach to set clear guidelines. Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore highlighted the experience of Loudoun County, Virginia, which has a high concentration of data centers, as a potential resource for guidance.
Robert Merchant, Director of the county’s Planning and Zoning Department, indicated that "data center" is not explicitly defined in the current code, but projects would likely fall under light or heavy industrial zoning. Interim Beaufort County Attorney Dylan Kidd confirmed that staff would present various regulatory options for the council's consideration. Councilman David Bartholomew has already drafted an ordinance to prohibit large-scale data centers, inviting input on specifics. The Coastal Conservation League is also scheduled to present on data centers to the Northern Regional Plan Implementation Committee. Meanwhile, a major 859-acre data center campus is being developed in nearby Colleton County, which led to a six-month moratorium, and other projects are planned in Effingham County, Georgia (OpenAI's "Project Camellia") and Barnwell County, South Carolina.