Humans First
Data Center Revolt bus tour protesting data center development stopped in Spartanburg as sixth stop across 35 stops nationwide.
NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center
A $2.8,$3 billion NorthMark data center project in Spartanburg County is under construction and faced legal challenges including an injunction request and lawsuit, but the SC Public Service Commission ruled the project is not subject to public power plant regulations. It is reported, as reported August 25, 2026.
How much water it would use and who would use it have not been disclosed.
How to read this page. Every fact links to the source it rests on; a number in brackets is its place in the source list. A figure no source gives reads Not disclosed, and nothing is estimated. Where sources give different figures, each is shown with who gave it, and another source's figure never stands in for the record's own. Entries are added and never overwritten; corrections are listed under What happened.
What is known
Each figure as its source gave it. The number in brackets is its place in the source list.
- Land
- Not disclosed
- Power it would draw
- 450 MW
- third party estimate [17]
- Water
- Not disclosed
- Who leads it
- NorthMark
- as stated by the source
- Who would use it
- Not disclosed
- Jobs once it runs
- Not disclosed
- Tax each year
- Not disclosed
- Where its power comes from
- natural gas, 450 MW
- as stated by the source [19]
Every field, with who said it and when (Researcher view)
Impact figures
| Field | Value | Who says so | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How much power it needs | 450 MW | third party estimate | [17] yahoo.com | October 6, 2026 |
| How much water it would use | Not disclosed | |||
| How loud it would be | Not disclosed | |||
| Jobs once it runs | Not disclosed | |||
| Tax it would pay each year | Not disclosed |
The record's fields
| Field | Value | Who says so | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who is building it | NorthMark | as stated by the source | October 6, 2026 | |
| Who is constructing it | Not disclosed | |||
| How much land | Not disclosed | |||
| Where its power comes from | natural gas, 450 MW | as stated by the source | [19] goupstate.com | October 6, 2026 |
| Grid connection | Not disclosed | |||
| How it is cooled | Not disclosed |
How much power it needs, also reported: 50 MW, 2026 (South Carolina Public Radio: Northmark Strategies data center in Spartanburg County increased required generator capacity from 50MW to 450MW, The Clinton Chronicle: Valara initially approved for 50 megawatts but amended application to 450 megawatts); 450 MW, 2026 (www.goupstate.com: A 450 megawatt power station could supply electricity for about 400,000 homes); 48 MW, 2026 (Post and Courier: Facility previously permitted for 48 megawatts, permit allows new turbines to generate additional 408 megawatts for total of 457 megawatts); 17 MW, 2026 (The Clinton Chronicle: Valara applied for additional 5 natural gas combustion turbines at 17 megawatts each and 6 turbines at 54 megawatts each) .
The developer's figure is what the company said; what a permit allows is the ceiling a permit sets; measured means observed. Water is in gallons a day or a year, whichever the source stated; a tax claim given as a range shows both ends, each linked to the source that gave it.
Still not public, and where it would show up
The record adds each the day a source gives it. Why these documents.
- Water useA state water right filing or a water supply agreement.
- Who would use itA lease announcement or a tenant named in a filing.
- Jobs and taxAn incentive agreement, a county's economic development filing or a fiscal note.
What was decided
Acts of Spartanburg County and the cities in it about data centers, on the record with their source. A rule about the area is not a decision about this record.
| Date | Who | Decision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg County | Data centers of 65 megawatts or less can still build in Spartanburg County over the next year if located in established industrial parks or on former industrial sites, and cannot generate their own electricity except for emergency backup | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | The moratorium exempts data centers that have already received county approval, including the Valara data center currently under construction | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council voted 5-1 to approve a one year freeze on new data centers larger than 65 megawatts | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council held special meeting on Monday to discuss data center projects and vote on countywide moratorium on new data center projects | yahoo.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Judge will decide later on request to halt Spartanburg data center construction | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Central legal issue is whether Valara project is classified as a major or minor development, which determines if approval requires public hearings. | southcarolinapublicradio.org |
22 earlier decisions on the county's rows
| Date | Who | Decision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council expected to hold third and final vote on one year data center moratorium next week. | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Hearing held Thursday morning on whether to halt construction of Valara data center along South Pine Street; judge took issue under advisement. | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Residents filed lawsuit asking court to declare Spartanburg County comply with its own land development ordinance and require Valara Holdings to obtain major land development permit. | yahoo.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Hearing held in Spartanburg County Seventh Judicial Circuit Court to address lawsuit against Valara data center project on South Pine Street. | yahoo.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council held a special meeting on data center development | wyff4.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Residents stormed out during data center debate in Spartanburg County | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | The potential one year data center moratorium is expected to return before Spartanburg County Council on September 21st | wspa.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Council delayed a vote on the data center moratorium pending more information | wspa.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council held a second special public safety committee hearing on a potential one year moratorium on new data center developments | wspa.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council held a second hearing on the NorthMark Data Center proposal | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Committee held five hour meeting about a month ago with experts from power and water sectors and South Carolina Department of Environmental Services | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | County Council moved through first two readings of proposed 12 month data center moratorium; moratorium currently in effect under pending ordinance doctrine; final vote expected later this month | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council Public Safety Committee holding second hearing on data centers Wednesday September 9 at 5:30 p.m. | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | County planning and development staff denied proposed data center on Jones Road citing Unified Land Management Ordinance violations and noting inability to accept second application due to moratorium under consideration | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council considering one year moratorium on new data centers | foxcarolina.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council delayed a final vote on the proposed moratorium on new data center development until September | wyff4.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Board of Zoning Appeals cited non compliance items and the proposed Spartanburg County data center moratorium in denying the appeal | wyff4.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Board of Zoning Appeals denied the developer's appeal | wyff4.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Lawsuit by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County and Southern Environmental Law Center challenges NorthMark's minor designation for a major land development project | goupstate.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council unanimously approved second reading of a moratorium ordinance on July 20, 2026 | goupstate.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Southern Environmental Law Center filed lawsuit July 6, 2026 on behalf of concerned citizens group challenging Spartanburg County land development classification | myclintonnews.com | |
| Spartanburg County | Spartanburg County Council is planning a data center moratorium | postandcourier.com |
What happened
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Higher water demand figures were provided to Spartanburg Water on February 11, 2026, as part of the project's Large Water Meter Questionnaire [18]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
NorthMark's Valara Data Center revised water use to 1.2 million gallons per day average, up to 1.6 million maximum, up from original 459,000 gallons per day [18]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services granted permit September 18 for 11 natural gas turbines generating additional 408 megawatts, bringing total capacity to 457 megawatts [16]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Spartanburg County Planning Commission voted last month to halt the stalled Lighthouse data center project. [15]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Construction on the Valara site has already begun and continues while court considers the classification decision. [15]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
State Circuit Court judge delayed decision on Valara data center construction in Spartanburg. [15]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
The meeting lasted five hours with public, experts, and council members debating a data center project [7]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Valara project became public in March 2025 when Spartanburg County began negotiating tax incentives for project creating 27 jobs [14]
7 earlier entries
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
NorthMark Strategies converting Kohler kitchen and bath manufacturing plant into $2.8 billion computing center on 300 acres [14]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
NorthMark was approved about two years ago through a public process including three readings and a public hearing [13]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
NorthMark data center construction continues on South Pine Street [13]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Valara Holdings data center initially approved as minor project, now subject to community opposition and legal challenge [1]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
South Carolina approved nearly 3 billion dollar data center in Spartanburg County [12]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
The project would have created about 50 jobs [6]
-
· reported (source date; the content gives no date of its own)
LightHouse Data Centers proposed a project covering about 151 acres along Jones Road with an approximately 200,000 square foot building [6]
The full NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center timeline, in order
16 corrections to this record
Every correction, with its reason
-
· the summary of a record items row
the record's rules: the sentence copied its source, was about its headline or carried a number the card's facts do not; written again from the card's facts, on the editor's word The old and new text.
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· the summary of a record items row
the record's rules: the sentence copied its source, was about its headline or carried a number the card's facts do not; written again from the card's facts, on the editor's word The old and new text.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
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· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
-
· the kind of source of a history entry
The source was labeled with the Google News search that found it; it now carries its outlet's tier (the record's rules of 2026-09-23). The link did not change. The day's label corrections.
Every correction on the record is on the corrections page.
What was said
State Rep. Thomas Beach said bill by Rep. April Cromer and co sponsored by Rep. Lee Hewitt would require data centers to pay for infrastructure including electricity and water.
Sarah Knox, Valara Holdings spokesperson, said the project would use 97 percent of its own energy capacity and minimize grid reliance
Every statement about data centers in South Carolina, by speaker
10 more statements on this page
Frank Holleman, Southern Environmental Law Center, raised concerns about formaldehyde pollution from on site power generation
Valara Holdings Computing Center spokesperson
Sarah Knox said the project will not use groundwater aquifers or wells
Southern Environmental Law Center advocated for a pause on data centers and raised concerns about a data center currently under construction on South Pine Street
Sarah Knox, director of external affairs for NorthMark Strategies
NorthMark is complying with state laws and is still waiting on an air permit to operate and hopes to receive it by the end of the year
Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Frank Holleman, senior attorney with Southern Environmental Law Center, questioned air quality modeling and formaldehyde exposure limits
Sarah Knox, NorthMark Director of External Affairs, stated the project meets DES and EPA regulations according to plain reading
Jessica Holdman, reporter, South Carolina Daily Gazette
Company originally said it needed 50 megawatts, then said it would need 450 megawatts worth of generators on site
Spartanburg resident
Eric Allison runs a Facebook group against data centers with more than 8000 members
LightHouse CEO Nick Etschied stated the company has invested more than $28 million in the project
The site
Where in Spartanburg County is not in the public record. The pin marks the county seat, not a building, and the outline is the county.
Tap a pin for the data center, the parcel for its record
- This record: Proposed, ringed
- data center
- Dashed edge: the exact site is not in the public record
- Smaller pins: 7 other published records in South Carolina
Details
- this record's location, ringed
- parcel outline, from the county parcel record
- city limits, U.S. Census Bureau, on a town level record
- county boundary
The other pins are the published projects in the same state, each in its stage color. The imagery beneath is the USGS national orthoimagery, public domain, shown so the land around the site can be read.
- Where
- Spartanburg County, South Carolina
- How exactly it is located
- County level, the county seat
- The parcel
- No parcel outline in the public record
- Nearest homes
- Not computed for a record placed at a place center
- Nearest records
- Nearest records are not computed for a record placed at a county seat.
Comparisons
1 metric with more than one figure
Capacity at full buildout
5 figures, 5 sources450 MWThird party estimate
450 MWReported
48 MWReported
17 MWReported
Show each source's words
- 450 MW, www.goupstate.com: A 450 megawatt power station could supply electricity for about 400,000 homes
- 50 MW, South Carolina Public Radio: Northmark Strategies data center in Spartanburg County increased required generator capacity from 50MW to 450MW
- 50 MW, The Clinton Chronicle: Valara initially approved for 50 megawatts but amended application to 450 megawatts
- 48 MW, Post and Courier: Facility previously permitted for 48 megawatts, permit allows new turbines to generate additional 408 megawatts for total of 457 megawatts
- 17 MW, The Clinton Chronicle: Valara applied for additional 5 natural gas combustion turbines at 17 megawatts each and 6 turbines at 54 megawatts each
Questions about this project
7 questions answered from the record
How big is NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center?
-
The record has one measure of its size: 450 MW (third party estimate, source). Its acreage is not disclosed.
Who is building NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center?
-
NorthMark is the developer. No construction contractor is named on the record yet.
Who will use NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center?
-
Not disclosed. No source on file names a tenant, says whether the site is single or multi tenant, or states what it is for. The record keeps the use as not disclosed until one does; see Who it serves.
How much power and water does NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center say it needs?
-
Power: 450 MW (third party estimate, source). Water: not disclosed by any source on file.
Where does NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center stand today?
-
It is reported, as reported August 25, 2026. The newest entry, reported September 21, 2026: Higher water demand figures were provided to Spartanburg Water on February 11, 2026, as part of the project's Large Water Meter Questionnaire [18].
What has Spartanburg County decided about it?
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Spartanburg County: Data centers of 65 megawatts or less can still build in Spartanburg County over the next year if located in established industrial parks or on former industrial sites, and cannot generate their own electricity except for emergency backup (reported September 22, 2026, source); and Spartanburg County: The moratorium exempts data centers that have already received county approval, including the Valara data center currently under construction (reported September 22, 2026, source). 28 events are on the county's rows; a rule about the area is not a decision about this record.
What is still unknown about NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center?
-
Not disclosed by any source on file: how much water it would use, how loud it would be, jobs once it runs, tax it would pay each year, who is constructing it, how much land, grid connection, how it is cooled. No missing primary document is listed for this record yet; What the record lacks is where one appears when a person names it.
Sources
Reporting
- Spartanburg County to hold special meeting on controversial data centers - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, September 9, 2026, local outlet
- Spartanburg County data center construction continues despite legal challenges - WYFF, WYFF, September 2, 2026, local outlet
- Public Service Commission sides with Spartanburg data center, says it won't regulate NorthMark - Post and Courier, Post and Courier, August 27, 2026, local outlet
- State commission sides with Spartanburg data center in legal challenge - WSPA 7News, WSPA 7News, August 27, 2026, local outlet
- SC Public Service Commission dismisses challenge to Spartanburg County data center project - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, August 27, 2026, local outlet
- Spartanburg County board blocks proposed data center - WYFF, WYFF, August 25, 2026, local outlet
- Upstate leaders and public clash over future of data centers - WYFF, WYFF, September 11, 2026, local outlet
- Citizens group lawyers seek injunction to halt data center construction - Greenville Online, Greenville Online, August 20, 2026, local outlet
- Lawsuit targets Spartanburg County data center project, demands public planning review - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, July 7, 2026, local outlet
- Could data center challenge change the landscape in South Carolina? - WRDW, WRDW, August 5, 2026, local outlet
- Data center developer wants to build own power plant. Does it need SC’s approval? - The State, The State, August 6, 2026, local outlet
- South Carolina approves nearly $3 billion data center in Spartanburg County despite lawsuit - Yahoo, Yahoo, August 28, 2026, local outlet
13 more sources
- Spartanburg council committee holds hearing on data centers, presses for credible evidence - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, September 9, 2026, local outlet
- DATA 2: Spartanburg data center not subject to public power plant rules, SC regulators rule - The Clinton Chronicle, The Clinton Chronicle, September 10, 2026, local outlet
- Judge punts decision on Spartanburg data center construction, South Carolina Public Radio, September 17, 2026, local outlet
- Spartanburg data center gets OK from SC regulators to generate 457 megawatts - Post and Courier, Post and Courier, September 21, 2026, local outlet
- Special meeting called over data center construction in Spartanburg County - Yahoo, Yahoo, September 21, 2026, local outlet
- Amount of water needed to operate Spartanburg Data Center more than double original estimate - WSPA 7News, WSPA 7News, September 21, 2026, local outlet
- Spartanburg County data center ban advances. NorthMark to be included?, www.goupstate.com, July 21, 2026, local outlet
- South Carolina Public Service Commission approves nearly $3 billion data center - WYFF, WYFF, August 27, 2026, local outlet
- Spartanburg data center not subject to public power plant rules, SC regulators rule - South Carolina Daily Gazette, South Carolina Daily Gazette, August 27, 2026, local outlet
- They started building a $2.8 billion data center and no one really knew about it - selc.org, selc.org, August 26, 2026, local outlet
- Environmental group seeks to halt development of $3B data center in Spartanburg County - WYFF, WYFF, August 21, 2026, local outlet
- Development company responds to request for injunction to halt Upstate data center project - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, August 20, 2026, local outlet
- Environmental group files court order to stop Spartanburg County data center project - FOX Carolina News, FOX Carolina News, August 20, 2026, local outlet
25 sources on file.
Cite this record
Data Center Record, "NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center", https://datacenterrecord.org/projects/northmark-spartanburg-county-data-center-sc, last verified October 6, 2026.
Cite this page
Data Center Record, "NorthMark Spartanburg County Data Center", https://datacenterrecord.org/projects/northmark-spartanburg-county-data-center-sc. Data: Data Center Record, datacenterrecord.org, CC BY 4.0.
The structured rows are CC BY 4.0. Link to this page; that is what turns a reuse into a citation. Prose stays under copyright.
For researchers
- Slug
- northmark-spartanburg-county-data-center-sc
- Status value
- rumored
- Stage
- Proposed
- Tier
- skeleton
- Tags
- skeleton
- Place id
- us/sc/spartanburg-county
- Coordinates
- 34.94806, -81.93472
- Location precision
- county
- Location source
- County seat (Spartanburg), Wikidata, placed at county level
- Coordinate source
- wikidata county seat
- Location source number
- Not disclosed
- Location last verified
- September 16, 2026
- EPA registry id
- Not disclosed
- Use type values
- not_disclosed
- Tenancy value
- not_disclosed
- Cooling type value
- not_disclosed
- Capacity basis
- third_party_estimate
- Water basis
- not_disclosed, gallons_per_day
- Acreage basis
- Not disclosed
- Interconnection value
- not_disclosed
- Capacity, if disclosed
- 450 MW, third party estimate
- Rating of the county's rows
- Not disclosed
- Published
- 2026-09-05
- Last verified
- 2026-10-06