Last Update: 10/26/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
Colleton County Data Centers
Coverage from Live 5 News, Bluffton Today, and others

Colleton County’s data-center debate has involved a zoning overlay, a temporary moratorium, public hearings, and rules addressing matters such as noise, setbacks, cooling, and project size.
Residents and environmental advocates have raised concerns about water supplies, energy demand, farmland, and rural and environmental impacts, while some residents see potential economic benefits. Litigation over rural siting led to a settlement creating a Data Center Exclusion Area across much of the ACE Basin, making local land-use decisions and community participation central to the issue.
Looking Back
88 Day Timeline
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All Articles6 articles
Important
Colleton County Council approved a data center overlay in rural South Carolina, partially lifting a moratorium while imposing noise, setback, cooling and acreage requirements.
9/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Environmental groups are urging Colleton County residents to oppose a proposed data center zoning overlay before the Sept. 14 public hearing in Walterboro, South Carolina.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Colleton County Council approved a July 6, 2026 six-month moratorium on data center approvals in rural South Carolina after public opposition and a January 2026 lawsuit.
7/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Colleton County Planning Commission approved a digital infrastructure overlay zoning amendment during a six-month data center moratorium in South Carolina.
8/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Colleton County approved data center zoning rules in South Carolina, while farmers and supporters debate groundwater risks, farmland impacts and potential tax revenue.
9/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Colleton County agreed in 2026 to exclude data centers from most of the ACE Basin in South Carolina, settling a residents' zoning lawsuit.
10/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
