Data center regulation bill moves to South Carolina Senate floor

A bill designed to regulate future data center development in South Carolina has advanced to the full Senate for consideration. If approved, the legislation would establish an oversight officer within the State Department of Environmental Services and create a new permitting process specifically for data center locations. Key provisions of the bill include a requirement for data centers to submit annual reports detailing their water and energy consumption. They would also need to testify on a 30-year scale concerning their megawatt usage. This legislative effort is a direct response to concerns voiced by residents regarding the potential impacts of large-scale data facilities, often referred to as "A.I. factories," especially those sited in rural communities. The legislation also aims to ensure that future generation costs are not passed on to residential or other business customers. As the current legislative session has only nine days remaining, it is uncertain whether the bill will be taken up for a vote by the full Senate before adjournment.