$6bn Rhodes Technology Park Data Center in Colleton County Faces Fierce Pushback from Locals

Correction (September 2026): This article has been updated to accurately reflect the project’s name and location. An earlier version referred to the proposal as the “ACE Basin Data Center.” Eagle Rock Partners’ proposed campus is named Rhodes Technology Park and is located west of I-95 off Mount Carmel Road in Colleton County. References to the ACE Basin below reflect the concerns raised by opponents about the project’s proximity to that watershed.

Colleton County residents have voiced major environmental and economic concerns about a proposed $6 billion data center — Eagle Rock Partners’ Rhodes Technology Park — and a separate power plant project associated with pipeline infrastructure near the Edisto River. As a result, two public presentations were organized, where project representatives presented plans that could be implemented in the near future. The proposal has sparked community discussion on water consumption, air quality and potential environmental impacts, with neighbours from neighbouring Charleston County also voicing concerns about regional environmental impacts.

According to information shared by the developer at a recent community session, Rhodes Technology Park would span more than 1,200 acres, comprising 10 data center buildings and two substations, with around 1,000 megawatts (1 GW) of power demand. Eagle Rock Partners describes it as a single-user hyperscale campus intended for a major technology tenant. The site lies west of I-95 off Mount Carmel Road, within Colleton County’s new digital infrastructure overlay district.

The proposed data center would consume about the same amount of water as a local car wash, using a closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling system, but create hundreds of high-paying jobs, Ken Loeber of Eagle Rock Partners said. The project would represent a roughly $6 billion investment. “It really is $6 billion off of Mount Carmel Road that no one will be able to see,” Loeber said, noting the campus would sit behind a treed buffer and meet a 65-decibel noise limit. Colleton County economic officials emphasized the possible long-term tax revenue gains and property tax savings for residents.

Another major data center advancing despite previous pushback is the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse campus. That project is approximately 20% to 25% finished; its scale was conveyed to visitors during a recent tour, with the first building under construction measuring approximately 550,000 square feet. “This is crazy,” one visitor said as he walked in.

Environmental opposition to the proposed data center

Much of the opposition centres on the project’s proximity to the ACE Basin — a largely undeveloped 1.7-million-acre watershed centred on the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers, and one of the Southeast’s most significant conservation areas. The Southern Environmental Law Center has taken legal action over the county’s data center zoning, and opponents including residents, environmental groups and elected officials have argued the campus threatens the watershed. Residents asked whether the area could support significant industrial growth without sacrificing environmental quality, raising water pollution, air quality and ecosystem protection as their main concerns.

Juliana Tuihri, a North Charleston resident, stated the pipeline and power plant would impact Charleston County alongside Colleton County through air and water pollution. Project representatives said the project would be constructed “with” Colleton County, not “in” Colleton County, which would add geographic complexity to environmental review processes.

Outlook on the Rhodes Technology Park data center

The project representatives said they hope to finish construction by 2030, and that initial land service permits are for early site preparation. In particular, the Coastal Management Division and Environmental Services of South Carolina are considering permits and public hearings for companion power plant development. Officials acknowledged that significant further development and approvals would follow initial site preparation. Brantley Strickland, executive director of the Colleton County Economic Alliance, highlighted the project’s potential transformational economic impact in terms of tax revenue and jobs.

Colleton County residents have voiced major environmental and economic concerns about the proposed $6 billion Rhodes Technology Park data center.

Project Overview

Project Name: Rhodes Technology Park (Eagle Rock Partners’ proposed Colleton County data center campus)
Project Value: Approximately $6 Billion
Location: West of I-95 off Mount Carmel Road, Colleton County, South Carolina (within the county’s digital infrastructure overlay district)
Developer: Eagle Rock Partners (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Scale: More than 1,200 acres; 10 data center buildings; two substations; ~1,000 MW (1 GW)
Status: Public presentations held September 2026, permitting underway

Scope