South Carolina
South Carolina had an active but largely inconclusive 2026 legislative session on data centers — a moratorium resolution (H.5286) and a permitting framework (S.867) advanced but did not become law before the May 14 adjournment, while data centers featured prominently in the GOP gubernatorial primary (SC Statehouse H.5286).
ILens Signals
Civic/Governance Barriers activates on moratorium-class action (C1), meaningful 2026 race (C3) — governance instruments on the electoral, legislative, and regulatory surface (protocol §10; Overview Civic breakout). Energy/Power is dominant; Capital Flows is a real secondary stressor: H.5122 explicitly strips data centers of a sales-tax exemption available to other telecom users, S.867's cost-causation permitting would shift infrastructure costs onto operators, and the 2025 energy-bill fight over dropped consumer protections shows an active cost-shift debate (Fastdemocracy H5122; The State, 2025). Water/Geology stressed via ACE Basin/rural water concerns.
IIKey 2026 Races
2026 governor's race: data centers were a debated issue but the anti-data-center candidates were eliminated — Rom Reddy ('dead opposed') took 14%, Nancy Mace (called for a 1-yr moratorium) 11%, both eliminated in the June 9 primary; Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (29%) and AG Alan Wilson (26%) advanced, with Wilson winning the June 23 runoff/GOP nomination (Wikipedia: 2026 SC elections; NBC News, Jun. 23 2026; Mace press release). Jermaine Johnson (D) won the Democratic nomination.
IIIMoratorium · Ban Status
No statewide moratorium enacted. H.5286 (joint resolution, Rep. Steven Long) would bar final approvals/permits/incentives for new data centers until Jan. 1 2028; introduced Feb. 26 2026, referred to House Ways and Means, and remained in committee with no further action as of session end (SC Statehouse H.5286; EPRI digest). Companion H.5526 (Rep. Jermaine Johnson) introduced Apr. 14 2026, also in Ways and Means (Trackbill HJR5526). ION Analytics lists H.5286 as remaining in committee (ION Analytics).
IVRatepayer · Cost-Shift Legislation
S.867 'Data Center Development Act' (introduced Jan. 29 2026) would create a statewide permitting office and require data centers to cover their own energy/infrastructure costs; it got a favorable Senate Ag & Natural Resources report Apr. 28 2026 and advanced to the Senate floor but did not pass (AARP). H.5122, ratified May 15 2026 (R 258), lets internet/communications providers claim a sales-tax exemption but PROHIBITS data centers from claiming or using those exemptions/refunds (Fastdemocracy H5122). H.4583 'Data Center Responsibility Act' remained in committee (Trackbill H4583).
VBallot Measures
None identified. No SC 2026 statewide data-center ballot measure appears in coverage.
VITop Contested Sites
Colleton County proposed data centers drew opposition (Democrat Mullins McLeod called them 'death stars' Dec. 2025); Spartanburg-area projects cited as spurring Rep. Long's moratorium; specific named large campuses remain early-stage (Spartan Weekly, Mar. 2026). No high-profile cancellation/voiding on the VA/NC scale confirmed.
VIITalent · Workforce
Talent/Workforce is a secondary theme: candidates and residents debate whether data centers deliver meaningful local jobs versus water/power burdens; no distinct AI-labor-displacement or construction-organizing story confirmed at scale.
VIIIData Center Cluster Size
Emerging market; scattered proposals across Spartanburg, Colleton and other counties rather than an established mega-cluster (Spartan Weekly).
IXKey Quote
"South Carolina families will not foot the bill for their massive energy demands." — Rep. Nancy Mace, calling for a one-year moratorium (Mace press release, May 18 2026).