Anderson County SC six-month data center moratorium (2026)
Anderson County, South Carolina — Six-Month Data Center Moratorium Adopted 7-0 on Third and Final Reading (August 18, 2026)
Anderson County, SC · Anderson County, S.C. — six-month data center moratorium (third and final reading adopted August 18, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- February 18, 2027
- Applies to
- Data center developers seeking county approvals in Anderson County, South Carolina during the six-month moratorium
- Enforced by
- Anderson County Planning and Development / Anderson County Council
Anderson County Council approved a six-month moratorium on data centers, passing the third and final reading 7-0 on August 18, 2026. County Administrator Rusty Burns confirmed the final reading had carried. The ordinance's own findings say that inadequately regulated development of multiple data centers may harm neighboring property owners, and that exponential growth in the industry could strain essential county resources including the electric power grid, water supply and local infrastructure. It also states plainly that Anderson County has no regulatory framework or zoning ordinance structure capable of managing the scale or impact of the industry — which is the reason for the pause. One detail makes this ordinance unusual among the local moratoriums in this dataset: it explains itself partly by reference to two bills in the South Carolina legislature, H.5286 and H.5526, which would have barred counties from approving new data center projects until January 1, 2028. Neither bill passed, and the ordinance says they will likely be reintroduced next year. In other words, the county acted locally because the state did not act — and said so on the record. Anderson County is one of several South Carolina counties that enacted data center moratoriums during 2026.
Who is protected: Anderson County, SC residents and property owners near potential data center sites; county electric, water and road infrastructure
Legal detail
Anderson County, S.C. — six-month data center moratorium ordinance, adopted 7-0 on third and final reading August 18, 2026 (confirmed by County Administrator Rusty Burns). South Carolina county ordinances require three readings; this entry records the completed third reading, not first-reading advancement. ORDINANCE FINDINGS: inadequately regulated development of multiple data centers may have negative impacts on neighboring property owners; exponential data center growth could strain essential public resources including the electric power grid, water supply and local infrastructure; the county lacks a regulatory framework or zoning ordinance structure to manage the scale or impact of the industry. STATE-LAW NEXUS — the distinguishing feature: the ordinance expressly references South Carolina H.5286 and H.5526, which would have restricted counties from granting approval for new data center projects until January 1, 2028. Neither bill passed, and the ordinance anticipates their reintroduction in the next session. The county therefore adopted a local pause as an explicit substitute for absent state authority, and tied its own timeline to the legislature's. CONTEXT: several South Carolina counties enacted data center moratoriums during 2026 (SC Daily Gazette, 2026-06-26). NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH Two-year moratorium on data centers, crypto mining, battery storage, an entry for Anderson County, TENNESSEE.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Anderson County, SC |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 18, 2026 |
| Citation | Anderson County, S.C. — six-month data center moratorium (third and final reading adopted August 18, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | No new data center approval may issue during the six-month moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · consumer protection · government use of AI |
| News report | Anderson County council approves final reading of six-month data center moratorium — FOX Carolina |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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