Data Centers Target Black Communities After White Town Rejects

Developers are proposing one of the South's largest data center complexes in Colleton County, South Carolina, a move that followed rejection from a predominantly white community in Georgia. This significant project, envisioned to span 1,200 football fields, has spurred a strong response from local Black residents concerned about environmental justice and the disruption of their traditional rural lifestyles. Activists like Paul Black emphasize that such polluting industries are frequently situated in Black and brown communities, which often lack the empowerment to resist.

The proposed nine data centers and two substations are slated for an area rich in woods and wetlands. To meet the substantial energy demands, Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy South Carolina are pushing for a new $5 billion gas power plant on the Edisto River. This plant has drawn warnings from environmental advocates about its potential impact on air quality, water resources, and critical wildlife habitats. Furthermore, the Trump administration's directive to fast-track AI data centers on contaminated federal sites, some near this area, adds another layer of concern.

Residents are raising alarms about potential aquifer depletion, noise, light pollution, and declining property values. The lack of transparency surrounding the proposal, which seeks a special zoning exception against the county's 'countryside' designation, fuels their determination to fight. For organizers, this struggle is part of a long-standing battle against environmental inequities, where marginalized communities are often treated as expendable sacrifice zones for industrial booms.