Power Supply Chain and Demand in South Carolina
Vertically integrated utilities run most of South Carolina's grid. 2,207 MW of new generation is planned in South Carolina, 204 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 1,276 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 35 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 15.93¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +7.6% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, and construction employment is +20.4% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 22 local moratoria or restrictions for South Carolina across all statuses (17 in force) and 6 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in South Carolina
South Carolina is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. Construction employment is +20.4% against August 2019, 18th of 48 states where BLS publishes it. Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are +1.9% year to date, 22nd in the country. The data center industry now accounts for 1.6% of South Carolina's economy, the 29th largest share of any state (the median state is 1.8%), counting the industry's in-state suppliers and payrolls. Pushback is organized: the SAVRN trackers hold 22 local moratoria or restrictions in South Carolina, 23rd in the country.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 107.1k | 128.9k | ▲ 20.4% | 18th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,773 | 12,993 | ▲ 10.4% | 35th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,369 | 5,050 | ▲ 15.6% | 29th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,714 | 4,201 | ▲ 13.1% | 39th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 2.9% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 14.80¢ | 15.93¢ | ▲ 7.6% | 24th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 27.3 GW operating | 2.2 GW planned | 8% of fleet | 37th of 51 |
Where South Carolina ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, North Carolina leads on construction jobs vs. 2019 at +27.8%; South Carolina is 2nd of 3 in its neighborhood at +20.4%.
County spotlight
York County holds the most data centers on record in South Carolina (5), and its electrical contractor workforce changed -12.1% since 2019 to 540 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Darlington County: 425 MW, led by Lotus Solar LLC (solar). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Greenville County, where contractor jobs grew 59.0% to 3,031.
Where South Carolina sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- Non-RTO (utility-run)
- Operating capacity
- 27.3 GW
- Planned generation
- 2,207 MW
- Under construction or built
- 204 MW
- Data centers identified
- 35
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.1%
- Residential price change
- +7.6%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
South Carolina, county by county
46 counties in South Carolina. Planned generation sits in 16 of them, data centers stand in 13, and local measures are on record in 16. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 35
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 5 | 300 MW | — | Pinopolis BESS LLC | 746 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | |
| York County | 5 | — | — | — | 540 | ▼ 12.1% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Greenville County | 4 | — | — | — | 3,031 | ▲ 59.0% | — | — | |
| Horry County | 3 | 74 MW | — | Holliday Solar I | 658 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | |
| Richland County | 3 | — | — | — | 811 | ▼ 7.8% | — | — | |
| Spartanburg County | 3 | — | — | — | 586 | ▲ 21.3% | 3 (3 in force) | 3 | |
| Dorchester County | 3 | — | — | — | 314 | — | — | — | |
| Aiken County | 3 | — | — | — | 233 | ▼ 10.0% | — | — | |
| Allendale County | 1 | 50 MW | — | Quest Solar | — | — | — | — | |
| Charleston County | 1 | — | — | — | 1,791 | ▼ 10.9% | — | — | |
| Lexington County | 1 | — | — | — | 780 | ▼ 15.7% | — | — | |
| Anderson County | 1 | — | — | — | 239 | ▼ 0.4% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Cherokee County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Darlington County | — | 425 MW | 75 MW | Lotus Solar LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Georgetown County | — | 413 MW | 50 MW | Kingstree East 230 LLC | 47 | — | — | — | |
| Barnwell County | — | 200 MW | — | Big Fork Solar | — | — | — | — | |
| Orangeburg County | — | 174 MW | — | SR Cordova, LLC | 77 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Chesterfield County | — | 151 MW | — | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 26 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Dillon County | — | 81 MW | — | Melsam Solar | — | — | — | — | |
| Williamsburg County | — | 75 MW | 75 MW | Kingstree West 115 LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Colleton County | — | 75 MW | — | Colleton Solar | — | — | 3 (2 in force) | — | |
| Newberry County | — | 71 MW | — | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | — | — | 2 (2 in force) | — | |
| Lee County | — | 60 MW | — | Shorthorn Solar | — | — | — | — | |
| Laurens County | — | 45 MW | — | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Marion County | — | 10 MW | — | SolRiver Capital LLC | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Fairfield County | — | 4 MW | 4 MW | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Lancaster County | — | — | — | — | 193 | ▲ 105.3% | — | — | |
| Sumter County | — | — | — | — | 155 | ▼ 13.9% | — | — | |
| Chester County | — | — | — | — | 93 | ▲ 86.0% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Greenwood County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | 1 | |
| Jasper County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Beaufort County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Clarendon County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| McCormick County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | |
| Kershaw County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — |
Every county in South Carolina 46
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 14
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Richland County + Lexington County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Greenville | Greenville County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Myrtle Beach | Horry County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Moncks Corner | Berkeley County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Aiken | Aiken County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Fairfax | Allendale County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Ft. Mills | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Gaffney | Cherokee County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| North Charleston | Charleston County + Dorchester County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Ridgeville | Dorchester County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Rock Hill | York County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| St. George | Dorchester County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Mount Pleasant | Charleston County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed local moratorium on data centers Proposed |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
South Carolina, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
Utility-run territory: resource planning sits with the vertically integrated utilities and the state commission.
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 27.3 GW
- Planned, all types
- 2,207 MW
- Under construction or built
- 204 MW
- Planned gas
- 0 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 1,276 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- -1,072 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 35
- Operators
- 12
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +1.9%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.6%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.1% (-0.5 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +20.4%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- +2.6%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +10.4%
- Electrician median pay
- $58,740
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.06×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 15.93¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +7.6%
- All-sector price change
- +7.9%
- Total retail sales change
- +0.7%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 4
- Local measures (in force)
- 22 (17)
- Watchlist projects
- 6
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $18.6B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in South Carolina
Every planned generator in South Carolina in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 24 | 1,714 MW | 200 MW |
| Battery storage | 3 | 379 MW | 4 MW |
| Other | 2 | 114 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinopolis BESS | Berkeley | Batteries | 300 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Pinopolis BESS LLC |
| Kingstree East 230 Solar Project | Georgetown | Solar Photovoltaic | 249 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Kingstree East 230 LLC |
| SR Cordova | Orangeburg | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Cordova, LLC |
| Robinson Solar Plant | Chesterfield | Solar Photovoltaic | 76 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| Lotus Solar | Darlington | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Lotus Solar LLC |
| Juniper Solar | Chesterfield | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Juniper Solar |
| Big Fork Solar | Barnwell | Batteries | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Big Fork Solar |
| Culpepper Solar | Darlington | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Culpepper Solar |
| Rollins Solar | Darlington | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Rollins Solar |
| Ross Solar | Darlington | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Ross Solar |
| Kingstree West 115 | Williamsburg | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Kingstree West 115 LLC |
| Colleton Solar | Colleton | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Colleton Solar |
| B & K Solar | Darlington | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | B & K Solar |
| Big Fork Solar | Barnwell | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Big Fork Solar |
| Holliday Solar I | Horry | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Holliday Solar I |
What the South Carolina build-out runs on
Who is building generation in South Carolina, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinopolis BESS LLC | 1 | 300 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Kingstree East 230 LLC | 1 | 249 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 4 | 196 MW | 4 MW | Solar | 4 |
| Big Fork Solar | 2 | 150 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority | 2 | 114 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| SR Cordova, LLC | 1 | 100 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Lotus Solar LLC | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| B & K Solar | 1 | 75 MW | 75 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Juniper Solar | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Culpepper Solar | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Kingstree West 115 LLC | 1 | 75 MW | 75 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Rollins Solar | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Ross Solar | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Colleton Solar | 1 | 75 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Shining Sun Solar | 1 | 74 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded South Carolina footprint 3
| Tier | Company | Segment | What the record says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation OEM | GE Vernova | Gas turbine manufacturing | $160 million Greenville, SC investment; output 55 units/yr rising to 70–80 heavy-duty units/yr; combined-cycle lead times ~3.5 years (2023) to ~5 years, up to 7 | |
| Grid equipment OEM | Eaton | Three-phase transformers | Jonesville, SC three-phase transformer plant; hiring from 2027 for 700 jobs | |
| Grid equipment OEM | Siemens | Electrical equipment (Carolinas) | $165 million Carolinas manufacturing investment supporting data centers |
Order-by check derived
21 of the 22 planned units of 50 MW or more in South Carolina that are not yet under construction (1,683 of 1,932 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinopolis BESS | Battery storage | 300 MW | Sep 2027 | Aug 2024 | — | Pinopolis BESS LLC |
| SR Cordova | Solar | 100 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | SR Cordova, LLC |
| Robinson Solar Plant | Solar | 76 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| Lotus Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Oct 2027 | Sep 2024 | — | Lotus Solar LLC |
| Juniper Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Mar 2027 | Feb 2024 | — | Juniper Solar |
| Colleton Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Nov 2028 | Oct 2025 | — | Colleton Solar |
| Big Fork Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Nov 2028 | Oct 2025 | — | Big Fork Solar |
| Big Fork Solar | Battery storage | 75 MW | Mar 2027 | Feb 2024 | — | Big Fork Solar |
| Ross Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Nov 2027 | Oct 2024 | — | Ross Solar |
| Rollins Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Nov 2027 | Oct 2024 | — | Rollins Solar |
| Culpepper Solar | Solar | 75 MW | Nov 2027 | Oct 2024 | — | Culpepper Solar |
| Holliday Solar I | Solar | 74 MW | Nov 2028 | Oct 2025 | — | Holliday Solar I |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in South Carolina
35 data centers run by 12 operators are identified in South Carolina. The full list by city is on the South Carolina Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The South Carolina jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 2,426.3k | ▲ 1.6% | ▲ 10.2% (+225.4k) |
| Construction | 128.9k | ▲ 3.9% | ▲ 20.4% (+21.8k) |
| Manufacturing | 266.0k | ▲ 1.4% | ▲ 2.6% (+6.7k) |
| Mining and logging | 4.8k | ▲ 2.1% | ▲ 9.1% (+0.4k) |
| Retail trade | 272.5k | ▲ 1.2% | ▲ 8.0% (+20.2k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 3,714 | 4,201 | ▲ 13.1% | $134,980 |
| Electrical contractors | 11,773 | 12,993 | ▲ 10.4% | $74,150 |
| Power and communication line construction | 4,369 | 5,050 | ▲ 15.6% | $95,582 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 9,192 | — | $125,737 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 168 | — | $84,452 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 56,550 | $28,530 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 65,070 | $27,520 | 0.96× |
| Retail salespersons | 67,310 | $30,690 | 1.08× |
| All occupations | 2,305,080 | $46,490 | 1.63× |
| Construction laborers | 19,620 | $42,940 | 1.51× |
| Welders | 7,380 | $49,980 | 1.75× |
| HVAC mechanics | 6,920 | $56,610 | 1.98× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 5,770 | $53,940 | 1.89× |
| Electricians | 8,010 | $58,740 | 2.06× |
| Power plant operators | 680 | $79,900 | 2.80× |
| Power-line installers | 2,690 | $76,870 | 2.69× |
| Construction supervisors | 13,150 | $75,350 | 2.64× |
| Electrical engineers | 3,490 | $98,440 | 3.45× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to South Carolina
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in South Carolina
State measures 4
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HJR 5526 | Data Center Moratorium (joint resolution) | Proposed | 2026-04 | |
| S 867 | Data Center Development Act | Proposed | 2026-04 | |
| H 5286 | Data Center Moratorium | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 | |
| S 902 | Data center siting permits through the PSC | Proposed | 2026 |
Delay Watchlist projects 6
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthMark Strategies / Valara Holdings Computing Center (former Kohler plant) | Spartanburg County | permitting challenged | 450 MW | ||
| Stream Data Centers Marion County (abandoned) | Marion County | abandoned | 400 MW | ||
| Project Spero | Spartanburg County (NorthMark/Project Spero) | cancelled | 400 MW | ||
| LightHouse Data Centers campus at 300 Jones Road (former paper mill site) | Spartanburg County | halted | 60 MW | ||
| Greenwood County Data Center Moratorium | Greenwood County | moratorium in force | — | ||
| Pollard data center project | McCormick County | approved amid opposition | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (22) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The South Carolina Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
South Carolina's neighbors
South Carolina power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in South Carolina?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 2,207 MW of planned generators in South Carolina, 204 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is solar 78%, battery storage 17%, other 5%. The largest single unit is Pinopolis BESS (300 MW, Pinopolis BESS LLC). Owners plan to retire 1,276 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in South Carolina?
Non-RTO (utility-run) serves most of South Carolina, which means vertically integrated utilities plan and dispatch generation under the state commission. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in South Carolina on schedule?
21 of 22 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date. They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
What do electricians earn in South Carolina?
The median electrician in South Carolina earned $58,740 in May 2025, 2.06 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $76,870 (BLS OEWS).
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in South Carolina?
Construction employment is +20.4% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 11,773 in 2019 to 12,993 in 2025 (+10.4%, 35th in the country).
Which counties in South Carolina have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Darlington County (425 MW), Georgetown County (413 MW), Berkeley County (300 MW).
Are electricity prices rising in South Carolina?
Residential electricity averaged 15.93¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +7.6% on a year earlier, the 24th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +1.9%.
Does South Carolina have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 4 state-level measures (0 enacted) and 22 local moratoria or restrictions in South Carolina, 17 of them in force, 23rd most in the country.
South Carolina across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.