Judge to consider halting Spartanburg data center construction Thursday

A judge will consider whether to pause construction of Valara’s nearly $3 billion data center in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, during a 9:30 a.m. hearing Thursday. The dispute centers on how the county classified the project: as a “minor” development rather than a “major” one. Major developments go through the Planning Commission and a public review process, while minor projects are handled through staff review. Residents who sued the county are asking for a stop order while the case proceeds, though construction continues at the site. The day before the hearing, a national Data Center Revolt bus tour organized by Humans First made its sixth stop in Spartanburg to protest the project.