The City of Charleston has hit the pause button on potential data centers and ‘battery energy storage systems,’ while it figures out how to properly regulate them.
The Charleston City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night (5-0) to approve a temporary moratorium on data centers, battery energy storage systems, and related battery uses within city limits. City Manager Steve Bennett confirmed the vote.
The moratorium will remain in effect until October 6, 2027, or until the city adopts new ordinances regarding these types of facilities, whichever comes first in that case.
Charleston’s current “Unified Development Code” simply doesn’t have rules on the books for these kinds of facilities. City officials determined that data centers and battery energy storage systems come with unique challenges and potential impacts that need to be thought through carefully before any development moves forward. Those concerns include: electrical infrastructure, water usage, noise, fire safety, emergency response, and stormwater management.
The moratorium means that over this next year, no new applications for zoning approvals, permits, variances, or other development authorizations related to data centers or battery storage systems will be accepted or processed by the city. The Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning held a public hearing on September 24th and recommended unanimous approval, prior to it being voted on at Tuesday’s meeting.
There is one exemption built into the ordinance… the moratorium does not apply to residential battery storage systems, such as home solar battery setups for one or two-family dwellings, as long as they comply with existing building, electrical, and fire codes. In short, nothing changes for you.
What do you make of this moratorium? Be sure to let us know!
Provided is a link to the meeting’s minutes, moratorium, and more: https://public.destinyhosted.com/agenda_publish.cfm?id=24275&mt=ALL&get_month=10&get_year=2026&dsp=agm&seq=5025&rev=0&ag=423&ln=13870&nseq=&nrev=&pseq=5021&prev=0#
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