Kershaw County, SC, Enacts Year-Long Data Center Moratorium Amid Power Plant Concerns

Kershaw County, South Carolina, has enacted a year-long moratorium on new data centers, following similar actions by other state counties like Orangeburg and Lexington. The Kershaw County Council unanimously approved the moratorium on Sept. 22, driven by public concerns that a proposed natural gas power plant in Bethune, developed by Virginia-based Beaufort Rosemary, could ultimately power a data center.

Beaufort Rosemary plans a $900 million investment, with construction expected to begin in 2028-2029 and the plant to come online in 2031. Residents, including Thomas Curley, expressed strong opposition to the power plant and the potential for a data center, citing worries over health, traffic, noise, and substantial water consumption. These concerns were heightened by comparisons to a Spartanburg County data center project that significantly increased its reported water usage. Dylan Casey, Vice President for Development at Beaufort Rosemary, stated that the moratorium does not affect their Bethune Energy project, which aims to support South Carolina's growing energy needs.

In related actions, the County Council also approved ordinances to impose stricter standards on energy generation infrastructure projects concerning noise, vibration, light, and odor. Additionally, an ordinance was approved to allow power plant structures to exceed height limits if set back from residences. Separately, North Carolina developer Terra Nexus Ventures had previously withdrawn a rezoning request for a data center project in the county; the property was later sold to Delta Lands, LLC.