Spartanburg County Council passes data center moratorium with several amendments

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Spartanburg County Council voted 5-1 Monday night to approve a one-year freeze on new data centers, adopting several key amendments that define what facilities can still move forward.

Councilwoman Jessica Coker was the sole member to vote against the temporary ban, asserting that no evidence had been brought forward demonstrating a clear threat to residents.

“There was no evidence presented to you that made you concerned that this is a public safety threat to our constituents. So I just wanted to make sure that’s clear,” Coker said during the meeting.

What the amended moratorium allows

Before the third and final reading passed, council approved four amendments outlining specific conditions. Notably, the freeze only applies to facilities larger than 65 megawatts and will not impact data centers that have already received county approval—meaning it has no effect on the controversial Valara data center currently under construction along South Pine Street.

Under the amended rules, data centers demanding 65 megawatts or less can still build in Spartanburg County over the next year, provided they meet strict criteria:

• Must be located inside an established industrial park or on a former industrial site.
• Must demand 65 megawatts or less.
• Facilities cannot generate their own electricity, except for emergency backup power.
• Must primarily be used for storing, managing, and processing data.

The county clarified that the moratorium also exempts routine business IT infrastructure—such as ancillary server rooms or IT closets supporting an on-site business—as well as digital cryptocurrency mining operations, which are regulated separately.

Residents voice concern over 65-megawatt limit

Despite the temporary freeze, many residents left Monday night’s meeting frustrated, arguing that the 65-megawatt allowance leaves the door open to massive facilities. Federal standards set by Congress define data centers exceeding 20 megawatts as “large” or “hyperscale.”

“If you let one in, you let them all in, and it’s going to be a problem for humanity,” one resident said during public comment.

Council Chairman Mo Abusaft emphasized that the pause provides the county necessary breathing room to study broader infrastructure impacts following months of public outcry over power grid strain, water resources, and air quality.

Council delays vote on Flock license plate reader rules

Data centers were not the only high-profile item on the agenda Monday evening. Council was also slated to hold a first reading on a proposed ordinance regulating automatic license plate readers, such as Flock Safety cameras.

The proposed measure seeks to govern how data collected by Flock systems is accessed and shared, while establishing penalties for misuse. However, council voted to postpone the reading after Chairman Abusaft noted the county needed clearer legal guidance regarding its authority to enforce criminal penalties.

“We did find some guidance... we’re going to go back to the drawing board and attempt to do that,” Abusaft explained.

Officials indicated the Flock camera ordinance could return before council for consideration in October.

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