How a nine-month data center moratorium in SC impacts projects under construction

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Some leaders in South Carolina are pumping the brakes on data centers.

In a first vote Monday night, York County Council supported a nine-month moratorium.

But some want clarity on if the pause will impact a major data center project already under construction in the county.

QTS Data Center is currently under construction.

We’re told they’ll build a total of nine buildings on the site.

On Tuesday, neighbors told Channel 9’s Tina Terry they want to know if that data center moratorium will impact work there.

“There’s no safeguards at the moment,” said Shawn Donahue.

That’s how he feels about data centers popping up all over town. He lives near the QTS Data Center that’s under construction in the Lake Wylie area.

Donahue was happy to see York County Council vote in favor of a nine-month moratorium on data centers on Monday night, giving council more time to study their impact on things like resources, infrastructure, and nearby properties.

“Taking a pause at this time to regroup and find ways to protect the citizens and also benefit the companies,” one speaker said Monday night. “It’s a benefit to all of us.”

But Donahue left the meeting wondering if the halt would apply to QTS.

“Yes, all of us really do, would like clarification because we’d like to deal with facts,” said Donahue.

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In the meeting, Councilman William “Bump” Roddey also asked for clarification.

“When people say put a moratorium in place, they think it’s going to shut down the existing approval we already have,” Roddey said. “Where does that fall? ‘Cause I don’t think it’s going to apply to the existing QTS at this time, correct?”

“Councilman Roddey that is a difficult question to answer with specificity,” Deputy County Attorney Laura Dover said during the meeting. “We are working on getting legal advice.”

On Tuesday, Channel 9 reached out to York County Government asking for clarification.

A spokesperson said in part:

“...If approved, the moratorium would apply to all projects except those which have established vested rights. The County will provide additional details prior to the second reading of the moratorium.”

QTS has said a total of nine buildings will go up on the site, but only a few are under construction right now.

So some are wondering if the buildings that have not come out of the ground have those vested rights.

That second reading is June 29 and the final reading is on July 13. Some leaders said they expect more clarity at those meetings.

Channel 9 got the following response from QTS on Tuesday:

QTS continues to advance its York County data center campus in accordance with applicable local requirements and in close coordination with York County leaders and community partners. The project is planned to be developed in phases and represents a significant long-term investment expected to support local jobs and economic growth.

Our commitment is to be a long-term partner in York County. We value our strong working relationship with county leadership and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to support the county’s priorities, address community concerns and ensure the project delivers lasting benefits for York County.

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