Delegation discusses data‑center impacts, energy pipeline routing and nuclear opportunities

Representative Bill Hager and Sen. Tom Davis used the briefing to raise energy and data‑center matters affecting the region.

Hager said the legislature is considering bills on medical hemp and on allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control; he emphasized energy infrastructure too, saying efforts are underway with pipeline company Kinder Morgan to select routes and use state property where feasible to reduce private land impacts.

On data centers, both legislators said they are working to craft policy that allocates grid upgrade and generation costs to data‑center operators rather than the existing rate base, requires best‑practice cooling systems to reduce surface‑water consumption, and incentivizes placement on brownfield sites near existing infrastructure. Davis said the bill he filed would push capital costs for grid upgrades to the data‑center operators and encourage use of rehabilitated industrial sites.

Delegation members also discussed nuclear energy. Speakers described progress on existing AP1000 reactor units and interest in modular reactors. Davis noted a federal Department of Energy request for proposals for nuclear life‑cycle innovation campuses and said South Carolina — with the Savannah River Site and existing nuclear manufacturing capacity — is well positioned to compete for federal investments.

The meeting record includes descriptions of technologies and policy directions but no final legislative text or votes were presented; leaders asked municipalities to provide input on siting, infrastructure and workforce implications.