Laurens County Council Advances One-Year Data Center Moratorium
Laurens County Council has advanced a one-year moratorium on data center permits to a second reading, with a third reading and public hearing scheduled for September 14. Citizens expressed concerns about quality of life, including noise, water use, and power grid strain. A local attorney highlighted a potential loophole for government-agency-constructed data centers, which the County Attorney clarified relates to the Supremacy Clause.
Laurens County Council in South Carolina has passed the second reading of a proposed one-year moratorium on accepting permits for data centers within the county, with a third and final reading and a public hearing set for September 14. The measure, sponsored by Council Vice-Chairman Matthew Brownlee, aims to address uncertainties surrounding the impact of data centers on quality of life, including water usage, power grid strain, and noise.
During the August 10 council meeting, Hickory Tavern resident John Parnell commended the proactive approach, while another speaker, Nick Babb, referenced negative impacts observed in Spartanburg County and Georgia. Local attorney Michanna Tate, the Democratic nominee for SC House District 14, raised concerns about a potential loophole in the Laurens County moratorium that would exempt data centers constructed by government agencies, unlike similar moratoriums in neighboring Greenwood and Newberry counties. County Attorney Wes Meetze explained this provision as a recognition of the Supremacy Clause, preventing local governments from imposing restrictions on federal, state, or city entities.
The council voted 5-0 to pass the second reading. Council Member Arthur Lee Philson Jr. advised opponents to also engage with the Cities of Laurens and Clinton, as the county's jurisdiction does not extend to projects within those city limits, such as a potential data center in the Hunter Industrial Park. The county is also developing an ordinance amendment to its Land-Use Plan to direct data center facilities away from residential areas. The article also quotes former President Donald J. Trump's general comments on the economic importance of data centers, suggesting that delaying their development is a mistake.