Judge to consider halting Spartanburg data center construction Thursday

A judge in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, is scheduled to consider halting the construction of a data center on Thursday. This comes amidst growing local opposition and a national bus tour, organized by "Humans First," which made a stop in the Upstate region to protest data center developments across the country.

Residents, including one living two miles from the "Valara Data Center" site on South Pine Street, are calling for the project to be canceled and for citizens to have a greater voice in government decisions. State Representative Thomas Beach, who represents Greenville, Anderson, and Pickens counties, urged residents to hold their local officials accountable. He also mentioned a proposed statewide bill in South Carolina that would require data centers to cover infrastructure costs, including electricity and water, rather than placing the burden on citizens, criticizing politicians for prioritizing corporations over families.

Concurrently, the Spartanburg County Council is expected to hold a third and final vote next week on a proposed one-year data center moratorium. The upcoming court hearing specifically focuses on the county's classification of the data center as a "minor" development, a distinction that bypasses the public review process and planning commission oversight required for "major" developments.