South Carolina is emerging as a major destination for data center development, with AI, cloud computing, and high-performance computing driving new investment across the state. Blackridge Research tracks 15 upcoming data center projects in South Carolina, representing approximately 2.7 GW of planned capacity and USD 26 billion in construction expenditure. The pipeline includes projects at planning, announced, and under-construction stages.

Major developments include the Savannah River Site AI Data Center, Cielo Digital Infrastructure's Gaffney Campus, QTS York County Data Center, Google Project Evergreen Data Center, and Meta's Aiken Data Center Campus. These projects span AI infrastructure, hyperscale data centers, cloud services, and high-performance computing, with development activity extending from the Charleston region and Aiken County to South Carolina's Upstate.

This article examines the top 5 upcoming data center projects in South Carolina, comparing their capacity, location, developer, investment, development stage, and expected timelines.

List of Top 5 Upcoming Data Center Projects in South Carolina, USA

Savannah River Site AI Data Center and Energy Generation Project

Amentum and DC Blox have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to develop a large-scale artificial intelligence data center and dedicated energy generation campus at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The proposed project would establish a 1 GW AI data center supported by approximately 2 GW of on-site power generation.

The project is planned as a behind-the-meter development on federal land in Aiken County. Initial power generation is expected to rely on natural gas, with the long-term plan calling for a transition toward advanced nuclear energy. Once developed, the campus would become one of the largest integrated AI data center and energy infrastructure projects in South Carolina.

Capacity and Power Infrastructure

The proposed Savannah River Site development includes approximately 1 GW of AI data center capacity supported by up to 2 GW of on-site energy generation. The behind-the-meter power system is designed to provide dedicated electricity to the data center without placing the full load on the regional utility grid.

The initial generation strategy calls for natural gas-fired power as a bridge to advanced nuclear energy. The long-term development plan envisions replacing the natural gas generation with advanced nuclear technology, although the specific reactor technology has not yet been finalized.

The Savannah River Site currently has access to several 115 kV transmission lines and a 20 MW DOE-owned biomass combined-cycle plant. Two commercially owned 75 MW solar facilities with battery energy storage systems are also under development at the site, with operations scheduled for 2029.

The DOE has identified 10 tracts of land that could potentially accommodate data center and/or power generation facilities. Individual data center sites could range from approximately 250 to 450 acres.

Development Status and Timeline

• Mid-2025: The U.S. Department of Energy and NNSA issued a competitive request for proposals for large-scale AI data center and energy infrastructure on federal lands.

• July 20, 2026: NNSA selected Amentum and DC Blox to enter negotiations for a phased lease at the Savannah River Site.

• Current phase: The project is entering lease negotiations, with federal permitting and development agreements still required before construction.

• Phase 1: Finalization of the long-term public-private lease and required approvals for the campus.

• Phase 2: Development and activation of the initial 1 GW AI data center, supported by up to 2 GW of behind-the-meter natural gas generation.

• Phase 3: Long-term transition of the on-site generation system from natural gas toward advanced nuclear energy.

• Current status: Proposed and in development, with Amentum and DC Blox entering formal negotiations with the federal government.

Key Contractors and Partners

Cielo Digital Infrastructure Gaffney Campus

The Cielo Digital Infrastructure Gaffney Campus is a planned hyperscale data center development in Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina. Cielo Digital Infrastructure is developing the approximately USD 2.1 billion campus at 000 Ford Road, near the North Carolina border. 

The project is planned to include four data center buildings totaling approximately 1.6 million square feet, supported by a dedicated electrical substation. At full build-out, the campus could support up to 300 MW of power capacity, with initial operations targeted for the end of 2028.

Capacity and Power Infrastructure

The Gaffney campus is planned across approximately 1.6 million square feet, comprising four separate data center facilities of around 400,000 square feet each. The development will include an associated electrical substation to support the campus's large power requirements.

At full build-out, the project is expected to support up to 300 MW of power capacity. The power-secured site is being developed to accommodate large-scale digital infrastructure and potential hyperscale, cloud, and AI computing workloads.

The project's location in Cherokee County places it between Spartanburg and Charlotte, with proximity to the North Carolina border providing access to the broader regional infrastructure and connectivity ecosystem.

Development Status and Timeline

• June 2025: Cielo Digital Infrastructure announced the Gaffney project as its first data center development in South Carolina.

• 2025–2026: Site development and project planning continued for the proposed four-building campus and associated electrical infrastructure.

• 2026: The project remained in the planned/proposed development stage, with public project records indicating continued progress toward construction.

• By end of 2028: Initial operations are targeted to begin.

• Full build-out: The campus is planned to reach approximately 300 MW of total power capacity across four data center facilities.

• Current status: Proposed/planned, with development and infrastructure planning underway.

Key Contractors and Partners

QTS York County Data Center

The QTS York County Data Center, initially known as Project Cobra, is a large-scale data center campus under active construction in Rock Hill, York County, South Carolina. QTS is developing the campus as its first South Carolina facility, with the planned investment increasing from an initial USD 1 billion to approximately USD 8 billion. 

The project will include nine data center buildings across three phases, with the first phase covering approximately 109 acres. The full campus is being developed across a site of nearly 800 acres.

Capacity and Power Infrastructure

The QTS York County Data Center campus will include nine data center buildings across three phases, with the first phase covering four buildings across approximately 109 acres. QTS has not publicly disclosed the campus's specific power capacity, but the company has established a power agreement with York Electric Cooperative covering all nine buildings. 

The facilities will use closed-loop cooling technology, which is designed to minimize ongoing water consumption after the initial system fill. The campus will also feature generators equipped with high-efficiency filters designed to reduce emissions and noise.

Development Status and Timeline

• 2023: QTS began developing plans for its first South Carolina data center campus, initially announcing an investment of approximately USD1 billion.

• 2024-2025: The project advanced through site preparation and development approvals, with the planned investment later increasing to approximately USD8 billion.

• 2026: Construction is underway, with the first facility topped out and additional Phase 1 buildings under construction.

• 2026: Phase 1 covers four buildings across approximately 109 acres.

• Early 2027: Construction of Phase 2 is scheduled to begin.

• Future: Phases 2 and 3 will add five more buildings, bringing the total to nine. The timeline for these remaining buildings is still being determined.

• Full build-out: QTS estimates the development will support approximately 1,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs.

Key Contractors and Partners

Google Project Evergreen Data Center

Project Evergreen is a Google data center campus planned at the Winding Woods Commerce Park in St. George, Dorchester County, South Carolina. The campus occupies approximately 206 acres at 4818-4928 US-78 and is being developed as part of Google's broader expansion of its South Carolina cloud and data center infrastructure. 

Google acquired the site through Gannett Enterprises LLC, one of the entities associated with the project. The St. George campus is one of two new Google data center developments announced in Dorchester County in 2024.

Capacity and Power Infrastructure

Google has not publicly disclosed the specific IT capacity or power capacity of Project Evergreen. The campus is being developed on approximately 206 acres within Winding Woods Commerce Park to support Google's cloud infrastructure and growing regional demand, including AI-related workloads. 

As part of its broader South Carolina expansion, Google has worked with the state's electric utilities to bring more than 128 MW of new solar energy and battery storage resources to the state. The Evergreen campus is part of Google's USD 2 billion investment in new Dorchester County data center infrastructure, alongside the company's separate Ridgeville campus.

Development Status and Timeline

• 2024: Google acquired approximately 206 acres at Winding Woods Commerce Park in St. George through Gannett Enterprises LLC.

• September 2024: Google announced a USD3.3 billion South Carolina investment and broke ground on two new data center campuses in Dorchester County, including the St. George site.

• 2024 onward: Site development and construction activities progressed at the Evergreen campus.

• Current status: The project remains under development as part of Google's expansion of its South Carolina data center footprint.

Key Contractors and Partners

Meta Aiken Data Center Campus

The Meta Aiken Data Center Campus is a multi-building data center development in Sage Mill Industrial Park in Aiken County, South Carolina. Meta announced the project in August 2024 as its first data center in South Carolina, backed by an USD 800 million investment. 

The campus spans more than 300 acres and includes approximately 715,000 to 750,000 square feet of data center infrastructure across multiple buildings. The facilities are being optimized for Meta's artificial intelligence workloads, with operations targeted for spring 2027.

Capacity and Power Infrastructure

The Meta Aiken campus will include multiple data center buildings totaling approximately 715,000 to 750,000 square feet across a site of more than 300 acres. Meta has not publicly disclosed the campus's total IT or power capacity. The facility's electricity use will be matched with 100% renewable energy, supported by new renewable energy resources developed with local partners. 

The project includes a 100 MW solar farm partnership with Silicon Ranch and local electric cooperatives. The campus is also designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and pursue water-positive operations by 2030 through water-efficient cooling systems, drought-resistant landscaping and other conservation measures.

Development Status and Timeline

• August 2024: Meta announced its first South Carolina data center in Aiken County, backed by an USD 800 million investment.

• August 2024: Groundbreaking took place at the Sage Mill Industrial Park site.

• 2024-2026: Construction and development of the multi-building campus progressed.

• Peak construction: The project is expected to support more than 1,000 construction workers.

• Spring 2027: The data center is expected to become operational.

Key Contractors and Partners

South Carolina Data Center Market Overview

South Carolina has an active data center development pipeline, with 15 upcoming projects tracked by Blackridge Research. These projects represent 2.7 GW of combined capacity and USD 26 billion in construction expenditure, with investments ranging from USD 50 million to USD 11 billion and an average investment of approximately USD 1.7 billion per project. The pipeline covers hyperscale campuses, colocation facilities, and enterprise deployments across several regions of the state.

South Carolina Data Center Development Pipeline

Most of South Carolina's upcoming capacity remains in the planning stage. Nine projects are in planning, representing 2.3 GW of capacity and USD 22.1 billion in capital expenditure. Another five projects are under construction, accounting for 400 MW and USD 3.8 billion, while one announced project represents 10 MW and USD 50 million. This development pipeline includes both large hyperscale facilities and newer projects designed for AI and high-performance computing workloads.

The state's development activity has expanded beyond its established data center base. Google's Berkeley County campus has operated since 2007, while the company is developing additional campuses in Ridgeville and St. George. More recent projects include Meta and Oppidan facilities in Aiken County, NorthMark Strategies/Valara's high-performance computing facility in Spartanburg County, Cielo Digital Infrastructure's proposed Cherokee County campus, and the proposed ACE Basin Data Center in Colleton County.

Google Data Centers in South Carolina

Google has maintained a data center presence in South Carolina since 2007, when it established its Berkeley County campus at Mount Holly Commerce Park near Moncks Corner. In September 2024, Google announced a USD 3.3 billion investment in South Carolina, including USD 1.3 billion to expand its Berkeley County campus and USD2 billion for new campuses in Ridgeville and St. George in Dorchester County.

Google's South Carolina Data Center Locations

Google's South Carolina footprint consists of three major locations:

AI Data Centers in South Carolina

South Carolina's newer data center pipeline increasingly includes projects designed for AI, high-performance computing, and high-density workloads NorthMark Strategies/Valara's High Performance Compute Center in Spartanburg County is designed around high-performance computing and has pursued up to 457 MW of on-site natural gas generation. 

Cielo Digital Infrastructure's Cherokee County campus is planned at approximately 300 MW across four buildings and is being developed as a large hyperscale-ready facility.

Meta's Aiken County data center is described by the company as being optimized for AI workloads, adding another major AI-oriented development to the state. At the Savannah River Site in Aiken County, a proposed federal AI data center could reach approximately 1 GW, supported by roughly 2 GW of dedicated power generation. 

The proposed ACE Basin Data Center in Colleton County is also being positioned for large-scale AI and high-performance computing workloads.

Major Data Center Locations in South Carolina

South Carolina's data center development is distributed across several regional markets rather than being concentrated in one city. The largest established cluster is in Berkeley and Dorchester counties, while Aiken County and the Upstate are attracting a growing share of new AI and hyperscale development.

Data Centers in Ridgeville, St. George, and the Charleston Region

Ridgeville and St. George are now two of the state's most important upcoming data center locations because of Google's new Dorchester County campuses. The Ridgeville facility is located at Pine Hill Business Campus on approximately 230 acres, while the St. George facility is at Winding Woods Commerce Park on approximately 206 acres.

The broader Charleston-region market also includes Google's operational Berkeley County campus and DC BLOX's proposed Camp Hall development. DC BLOX's planned campus in Berkeley County is designed for hyperscale tenants and is expected to provide approximately 45 MW of capacity. The region also benefits from international fiber connectivity through the Myrtle Beach cable landing station, which connects to Google's and Meta's subsea cable infrastructure.

Data Centers in Aiken, Spartanburg, and Cherokee Counties

Aiken County has become an important emerging data center market. Meta and Oppidan are developing facilities in the Graniteville/Vaucluse area, while the Savannah River Site is being considered for a federal AI data center and associated power infrastructure.

In the Upstate, Spartanburg County is home to NorthMark Strategies/Valara's High Performance Compute Center, while Cherokee County is the proposed location for Cielo Digital Infrastructure's 300 MW campus. These projects add substantial AI and high-density computing capacity to the state's pipeline and expand data center development beyond the Charleston region.

Data Centers in Columbia and Other South Carolina Markets

Columbia remains primarily an enterprise and colocation market. DartPoints operates its CAE01 facility at 1000 Catawba Street, while Lumen, Segra, and legacy telecom providers maintain additional infrastructure in the city. No hyperscale or AI-scale project has been confirmed in the Columbia area in the current development pipeline.

Other parts of South Carolina have smaller data center and telecom infrastructure, but the state's largest upcoming investments are concentrated in Berkeley, Dorchester, Aiken, Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Colleton counties. Blackridge Research's 15 upcoming projects, 2.7 GW of capacity, and USD26 billion in construction expenditure indicate that the state's development pipeline is increasingly shaped by large hyperscale and AI-oriented facilities.

Conclusion

South Carolina's data center pipeline is expanding rapidly as AI, cloud computing, and high-performance workloads increase demand for large-scale digital infrastructure. Blackridge Research tracks 15 upcoming projects totaling 2.7 GW of capacity and USD 26 billion in construction expenditure, with major developments spread across Aiken, Cherokee, York, Dorchester, and other South Carolina markets.

The Savannah River Site AI Data Center, Cielo Digital Infrastructure Gaffney Campus, QTS York County Data Center, Google Project Evergreen Data Center, and Meta Aiken Data Center Campus represent different approaches to meeting this demand, from dedicated AI infrastructure and hyperscale facilities to large cloud-focused campuses. Their development stages also vary, from planning and proposed projects to facilities already progressing toward construction.

As these projects advance, power availability, land, connectivity, cooling infrastructure, water resources, and permitting will remain important factors influencing their timelines and scale. The continued movement of projects through the development pipeline will determine how South Carolina's data center market evolves and how much of its planned 2.7 GW capacity reaches operation.

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