4 days Ago
We read with interest the recent editorial opposing incentives for data centers and questioning the value they bring to South Carolina. As a company that has already invested in two data centers here and has two more in development, DC BLOX would like to offer a different perspective — one rooted in long-term economic vision and the digital future that our state is already a part of. It’s a popular but misleading trope to label data centers as “energy hogs.
” In truth, data centers are efficiency engines. Rather than having millions of individuals, businesses, schools and hospitals running their own inefficient computing infrastructure, data centers consolidate and optimize that power use in a secure, energy-optimized environment. Every email, every video call, every student taking an online class, every interaction with artificial intelligence and even reading an editorial online uses electricity from a data center somewhere.
So when we talk about growing demand, it’s not because data centers are misusing power; it’s because society is relying more and more on digital services. Data centers simply concentrate and streamline the power required to support modern life. Editorial: Don't make SC ratepayers subsidize data centers, other energy hogs Let’s be clear: The data center economy isn’t theoretical — it’s already here, and South Carolina is benefitting.
• Google has invested more than $2.9 billion in its Moncks Corner data center, with an expansion planned in Dorchester County. • Meta has committed $800 million to a next-generation AI-enabled data center campus in Aiken County, bringing cutting-edge infrastructure to the region.
• QTS is developing a massive data center campus in the Upstate, reinforcing South Carolina’s emergence as a Southeast digital hub. • DC BLOX operates a multi-tenant data center in Greenville, the subsea cable landing station in Myrtle Beach, and is planning a hyperscale campus in Berkeley County and another hyperscale facility in North Augusta. In addition, DC BLOX is laying valuable new fiber infrastructure to connect many of the data centers in the region and to international destinations through its cable landing station.
These aren’t speculative projects. They’re real, transformative and delivering long-term value to local communities through jobs, tax revenue, fiber infrastructure and economic diversification. The presence of robust digital infrastructure is a key driver in attracting the next wave of advanced industry from manufacturing automation and smart logistics to biotech and AI research.
Companies increasingly locate where there is low-latency, high-availability connectivity and reliable local infrastructure. That includes in-state data centers. To say we don’t need data centers in South Carolina because people can get service from centers located in other states is like saying we don’t need roads because we can fly.
Latency matters. Users’ proximity to infrastructure matters. And being on the map for cloud and AI workloads is not just about convenience — it’s about competitiveness.
At DC BLOX, we understand concerns about energy costs and responsibility. That’s why we invest heavily in energy-efficient design, renewable energy partnerships and modular infrastructure that scales responsibly. We are not asking for subsidies to consume energy; we are investing in long-term infrastructure that makes the entire state more digitally resilient.
Instead of pushing away this opportunity, South Carolina should be shaping it by setting smart policies that ensure data centers contribute to grid stability, economic growth and local innovation. We agree that ratepayers should be protected, and that incentives should be scrutinized. But we also believe that South Carolina deserves a seat at the digital table.
That means continuing to support data center investment — not with blank checks, but with clear-eyed understanding of their value. If South Carolina wants to be a leader in AI, cybersecurity, health care innovation, manufacturing and digital education, we need the infrastructure to support it right here, not in some other state. Let’s make sure we’re building toward the future, not turning away from it.
DC BLOX is proud to invest in South Carolina and to be a partner in powering its digital economy. Chris Gatch is the executive vice president of DC BLOX..
