Spartanburg council members signal NorthMark data center will proceed
Spartanburg County Council members are signaling that a data center project by NorthMark Cloud and Compute (Valara) will proceed, despite an upcoming vote on a one-year moratorium for new data centers. Concerns about air pollution from the project's proposed 450-megawatt natural gas power plant, water usage, and noise have been raised by residents and environmental groups. The Southern Environmental Law Center has asked the Public Service Commission to review the project.
The Spartanburg County Council's public safety committee recently held a nearly five-hour information session to address local residents' concerns regarding data centers, specifically focusing on the NorthMark Cloud and Compute project, also known as Valara. The discussion centered on potential air pollution from NorthMark's planned 450-megawatt natural gas power plant, noise, water usage, and electric utility capacity, ahead of a third reading of an ordinance for a one-year moratorium on new data centers.
Following the meeting, council members Paul Abbott and Grant DeShields indicated they would not support including NorthMark's existing project in a possible moratorium, citing legal grounds given the company's substantial investment and compliance with current county permitting requirements. Council member Monier Abusaft also leaned against adding NorthMark to the ban but remained open to further information. Rhonda Thompson, chief of the Bureau of Air Quality with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES), reassured council members that NorthMark's proposed power generation facility would meet state and federal air quality standards, despite DES not yet having given final approval for the power plant.
Residents, including retired Wofford College professor Terry Ferguson, expressed strong concerns about potential air pollution, particularly carcinogenic formaldehyde, from the power plant. However, Abusaft found Ferguson's data lacked the specificity to warrant action based on health risks. Meanwhile, attorneys with the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) have formally requested the South Carolina Public Service Commission to review the NorthMark project under state utility regulations. Rick Jolley of Spartanburg Water stated the data center would be a large customer but would not impact residential water users, and Joseph Bridger of Stewart Acoustical Consultants recommended mitigation for noise impacts. Bryan Stone, president of Lockhart Power, advocated against a general data center moratorium, highlighting the economic benefits for local utility rates.