Horry County, SC officials address data center rumors

Horry County, South Carolina, officials have clarified that there are no current plans for a data center in the unincorporated areas of the county, addressing recent social media speculation. The confusion stemmed from a widely shared Facebook post suggesting a data center was planned near Collins-Jollie Road in Conway, South Carolina, which residents mistakenly linked to a separate AI data center proposed over a year ago in Conway, Arkansas, near Lollie Road.

County Councilman Dennis DiSabato confirmed that he is unaware of any data center projects within the county's municipalities or unincorporated areas. The county's Infrastructure and Regulations committee previously discussed potential regulations for future data center developments, aiming to preemptively establish size, location, and zoning restrictions. This proactive approach was influenced by a general increase in opposition to data centers across the U.S., driven by concerns over high energy consumption, noise pollution, and strain on natural resources.

DiSabato indicated that the restrictive nature of the proposed amendment likely deterred any potential developers interested in bringing a data center to the county, stating that the "appetite for whoever was trying to bring the data center into the county went away." He also mentioned that, to his knowledge, there are no plans to reintroduce the proposed amendment in future meetings. Chairman of the I&R committee Al Allen could not be reached for further clarification on the amendment's status.