Public data · Free to use
South Carolina Data Center Power Rules: Large-Load Tariffs and State Law
How South Carolina’s utilities and lawmakers handle data-center-sized power requests: 2 utilities, compiled from public filings, with a source on every entry.
Last checked October 22, 2026All states
Utilities
South Carolina utilities and their large-load rules.
Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress
NC, SC · Non-RTO Southeast · Duke Energy
Settlement filedOct 2026Large load tariff (North Carolina rate cases E-7 Sub 1329 and E-2 Sub 1380)
Duke filed a North Carolina settlement with major tech buyers and the Public Staff making a large-load tariff with minimum bills mandatory, pending commission approval.
- Applies to: Above 50 MW (June 2026 proposal)
- Pays at least 75% of contracted capacity (as proposed)
- 10- to 15-year terms (as proposed)
- Mandatory for high-use large customers under the settlement
- Replaces confidential one-off agreements
Sources: WUNC, Duke Energy comes to an agreement on long-sought large-load tariff for data centers in North Carolina (2026); Southern Environmental Law Center, Duke Energy LLT Settlement (filed October 6, 2026) (2026); Canary Media, Duke Energy proposes special rules for data centers in North Carolina (2026); Public Service Commission of South Carolina, Public Information Notice, Docket No. 2026-138-E (2026)
Santee Cooper
SC · Non-RTO Southeast
ApprovedApr 2025Experimental large-load rate
South Carolina's state-owned utility adopted a large-load rate for new customers of 50 MW or more with 15-year contracts and a three-year ramp.
- Applies to: New customers of 50 MW or more
- 15-year contract
- Ramp to full contracted use within three years
- Four-year experiment before a decision on making it permanent
Source: SC Daily Gazette, SC's state-owned utility enacts higher rates for data centers, large users (2025)
What this can and can’t tell you
The rules are public. Whether your site can get power isn’t.
Anyone could pull these filings; we compile them so they’re easy to find. Terms change often, so confirm them with the utility or the commission docket before relying on them.
Going deeper: Data Center Site Selection in South Carolina
This tracker · Public, free
- A utility’s published rules for large new loads
- The same answer for every site in that utility’s territory
- What the terms are if power is available
- Compiled from filings anyone can read
A BlackForge report · Site-specific
- Whether a specific parcel can actually be served, and roughly when
- Substation headroom and the realistic connection path
- Gas, water, fiber, buildable land and zoning, checked together
- Built and refreshed for your load, your timeline and your parcels
Cite this tracker
BlackForge Data Centers. "South Carolina data center power rules," Large-Load Power Tracker. Last checked October 22, 2026. https://www.blackforgedatacenters.com/data-center-power-tracker/south-carolina
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit.
Need the answer for a specific site in South Carolina?
Parcel-level screening and verification, built for your load and timeline.