Laurens County SC one-year data center moratorium (2026)
Laurens County, SC — One-Year Data Center Moratorium in Unincorporated County, Third and Final Reading 6-0 (September 14, 2026)
Laurens County, SC · Laurens Cnty., S.C. — One-Year Data Center Moratorium (Sept. 14, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- September 14, 2027
- Applies to
- Applicants seeking permits for data center development in unincorporated Laurens County; county planning and permitting staff.
- Enforced by
- Laurens County Planning Commission / Laurens County Council
Laurens County Council gave a one-year data center moratorium its third and final reading on September 14, 2026, approving it unanimously 6-0. The moratorium stops the county accepting, reviewing, approving or issuing permits for data center development. County officials were careful about the framing: the goal is not necessarily to keep data centers out, but to buy time to work out how they should be regulated, hearing from residents, planners and industry experts along the way. During the year the Laurens County Planning Commission and Council will evaluate regulations covering zoning districts, setbacks, buffering and landscaping, noise, water and wastewater, electrical infrastructure, emergency services, environmental impacts, traffic and decommissioning — an unusually complete list for a moratorium's study agenda. One limit matters: the moratorium applies only to unincorporated Laurens County. The cities of Laurens and Clinton keep control over data centers inside their own limits and are not covered. Laurens County is in the South Carolina upstate between Greenville and Columbia.
Who is protected: Residents of unincorporated Laurens County, through a one-year permit freeze while the county writes data center regulations. Residents of Laurens and Clinton are NOT covered by this measure.
Legal detail
Laurens County, S.C. County Council ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on data center development, adopted 6-0 on third and final reading September 14, 2026. South Carolina counties require three readings; the measure had been in progress since roughly mid-July 2026, when local coverage first reported the county imposing a year-long pause on first reading. Operative scope: suspends acceptance, review, approval and issuance of permits for data center development. JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT: unincorporated Laurens County only — the municipalities of Laurens and Clinton retain their own authority and are outside the moratorium. Study agenda enumerated in the measure: zoning districts, setbacks, buffering and landscaping, noise, water and wastewater, electrical infrastructure, emergency services, environmental impacts, traffic and decommissioning. Part of a South Carolina county wave through 2026 that also includes Spartanburg County, whose own moratorium had received first approval, and others catalogued by the SC Daily Gazette. Ordinance number not obtained; expires_date computed as one year from final adoption.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Laurens County, SC |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 14, 2026 |
| Citation | Laurens Cnty., S.C. — One-Year Data Center Moratorium (Sept. 14, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Data center permits are not accepted, reviewed, approved or issued in unincorporated areas during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Laurens County Council votes to approve one-year data center pause — 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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