Colleton County considering digital infrastructure overlay district, data center development

Colleton County, South Carolina, is currently experiencing significant public opposition to data center developments, despite having previously enacted a six-month moratorium on such projects. Local residents, including Valerie Lawson, are vocal about their concerns, asserting that the county's infrastructure is inadequate, particularly highlighting a fragile power supply and the community's reliance on well water, which they fear would be depleted and polluted by data centers.

In an effort to manage future developments, the Colleton County Planning Commission recently approved a text amendment to the county's zoning ordinance. This amendment proposes the creation of a "digital infrastructure overlay district," designed to establish specific conditions that data center facilities must meet before they can operate in the area. The commission also recommended applying this overlay to a particular property north of Mount Carmel Road near Lightsey Way, an area residents describe as a wetland.

Residents continue to feel unheard, with Lawson stating, "I just don’t think they’re listening, and I don’t think they get it because nobody is on their side." They emphasize environmental threats, questioning the impact of data centers on a swampy, flood-prone area. The proposed digital infrastructure overlay district, intended as a long-term strategy for data center regulation, now requires final approval from the County Council, which has yet to provide further details or comments.