Spartanburg County votes to pause new data center applications for one year—what it means locally and where residents can comment June 25
Spartanburg County Council took first-reading action on June 22 on an ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on the county’s consideration of development applications for new data centers (and, as applicable, related land-use approvals). Under the ordinance language, county staff are directed to hold in abeyance any new data center development applications received after first reading while the ordinance moves through later steps.
The timing has drawn criticism from residents who say they were left little room for public comment. But there is also a near-term way for affected residents to speak up: the state Department of Environmental Services is holding an availability session and public hearing on June 25 related to a proposed Valara Holdings high-performance compute project, including state air and water permitting.
What Spartanburg County Council did on June 22
In a special meeting, Council rendered first reading of an ordinance that imposes a temporary moratorium for 12 months from the ordinance’s enactment date.
Per the ordinance language, the county’s staff, the Spartanburg County Planning Commission, and the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals are directed to hold in abeyance development applications involving new data centers that are received after first reading.
For purposes of the ordinance, “data centers” are defined as facilities housing computer systems and related components with a combined connected electrical load of one megawatt or more, whose primary function is the storage, management, or processing of data.
Exemptions: what can still move
The moratorium is not absolute. The ordinance includes a written Exemption section stating it does not apply to:
- Applications where conditional plan approval was granted prior to the effective date (as long as the applications remain in compliance with all applicable approvals and conditions).
- Data centers that have been issued a development permit within the last 12 months.
The ordinance is also explicitly subject to the Pending Ordinance Doctrine, which is part of how the county treats first reading as the trigger for freezing certain new applications while the ordinance proceeds to later readings.
What’s paused: the 300 Jones Road proposal
FOX Carolina reported that the moratorium pauses a proposed data center project at 300 Jones Road. FOX reported the county said it received a permit application and had to act within a 60-day response window to block the request.
FOX also reported that application fees for the 300 Jones Road project were paid April 28, and that the companies behind the proposal are Lighthouse Data Centers and Wharton Digital.
What’s not paused: existing projects and state-permitting steps
The county moratorium does not stop projects already in place, according to FOX Carolina—this includes a Valara Holdings data center being built at the former Kohler plant. FOX reported that the moratorium does, however, prevent existing projects from seeking permit expansions through the county approval path.
FOX also reported that Valara has requested additional turbines, which would require more electricity. FOX said the request is still under review and is expected to move through the permitting process under state authority, rather than the county process.
Why residents are upset: transparency and timing
Two themes came through in FOX Carolina’s reporting. First, residents criticized the timing of the vote and said they were frustrated about not being allowed to speak on the moratorium. Second, residents and a local organizing group raised concerns about energy use and potential impacts on nearby residents tied to the broader data center discussion.
In advance of the June 22 vote, FOX Carolina reported that a Facebook group called No Data Centers in Spartanburg organized a march earlier this year and said residents lacked visibility into proposals, including a reported 151-acre Jones Road site.
June 25 state hearing: where residents can comment next
Even with the county moratorium in place for new local approvals, the state permitting timeline still matters for air and water impacts.
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is hosting a Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center availability session and public hearing on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, 385 N. Church Street.
- Availability session: 5:30–6:30 p.m. (one-on-one Q&A with staff)
- Public hearing: 6:45 p.m. (accepts written and verbal comments)
- Doors open: 5:15 p.m.
SCDES also says staff from the Bureau of Air Quality and the Bureau of Water will be part of the availability session. Attendees are encouraged to complete a pre-registration form by 12:00 p.m. on June 25, 2026. The notice and related documents are posted through SCDES’s ePermitting portal.
Bottom line for residents
For people in Spartanburg County watching data center proposals, this June 22 action is designed to pause new data center-related application consideration for up to a year—while the county works through later ordinance readings and studies where such projects may fit.
But it’s not a one-step “done” moment: the ordinance is on a multi-reading path, and FOX Carolina reported that the public hearing tied to the second reading had not yet been scheduled at the time of its June 22 reporting.
For residents focused on environmental and power-demand questions, June 25 at the SCDES hearing is the most immediate concrete chance to comment on the state’s side of the permitting process related to the proposed Valara project.
Sources
- FOX Carolina (June 22, 2026): County votes to pause data center applications for one year
- Spartanburg County Council special meeting agenda PDF (June 22, 2026): First reading ordinance imposing data center moratorium
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES): Valara Holdings H.P.C. availability session & public hearing (June 25, 2026)
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