Data center profile · 000 Ford Road, Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina

Cielo Cherokee County Campus

Cielo Digital Infrastructure's proposed four-building, $2.1 billion campus on 86 acres in Gaffney, South Carolina, with no tenant, utility or permit on record

Announced, nothing filed. South Carolina announced the project in June 2025 with initial operations targeted for year-end 2028. No tenant, power agreement, air permit or zoning application has been found, and Cielo's owner sold its stake in March 2026.
300 MW
full build-out (press)
DatacenterDynamics figure; the state announcement gives no MW
$2.1B
stated investment
company figure, with 30 jobs
1.6M sq ft
four buildings of about 400,000 sq ft
plus an on-site substation
86 acres
site size (press)
Gaffney site
OperatorCielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (developer)
CustomerNone announced
Planned IT capacity240 MW at full build-out (our estimate from the company's 0.3 GW campus power figure)
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2029 or later (no dated power path yet); company says 2028.
Next deadlineEnd of 2028: Initial operations targeted online by year-end 2028 (developer says)
Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet

Grid power, utility not identifiedNo agreement on record
300 MW
press figure for full build-out; no utility named Company · Oct. 2026
Proposed

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

  1. June 24, 2025
    Announcement lists a substation
    The state release mentions an associated electrical substation but names no utility and no megawatts. State agency · Oct. 2026
  2. May 26, 2026
    Local co-op says it serves no data centers
    Broad River Electric, one of four electric providers in the county, says it has none today. Company · Oct. 2026
  3. As of Oct. 2026
    No state commission docket
    A search of the South Carolina utility commission's Duke Energy docket index found nothing for Cielo. see Permits
Permits

Permits checklist

5 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs, and what we found.

Risks

What could slow it down

Money

Money on record

$2.1B stated investment (company figure; no financing or state grant announced). State agency · June 2025

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. March 7, 2023
    Paper trail Cielo Digital Infrastructure LLC registered in Delaware
  2. May 19, 2025
    Money County council advances a tax agreement for a codenamed Project Kingfisher; not shown to be Cielo Local government · May 2025
  3. June 24, 2025
    Site South Carolina announces Cielo's first state project: $2.1B, four buildings, 30 jobs State agency · Oct. 2026
  4. Sept. 9, 2025
    Permits Gaffney planning commission discusses draft data-center zoning under a city moratorium; no vote recorded Local government · Sept. 2025
  5. March 2026
    Paper trail Arroyo Investors, Cielo's owner, lists its investment as realized; the buyer is not identified News report · Oct. 2026
  6. May 26, 2026
    Power Broad River Electric says it serves no data centers Company · Oct. 2026
  7. End of 2028
    Construction Initial operations targeted (developer says) State agency · Oct. 2026
The buildings

Specs

4 buildings
each about 400,000 sq ft, 1.6 million sq ft in all
State agency · June 2025
30 jobs
stated by the company
State agency · June 2025
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners
  • Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC: developer, based in Spring, Texas
  • Arroyo Investors: owned Cielo until March 2026
Decision-makers
  • Cherokee County Council: tax agreements
  • City of Gaffney: zoning, if the site is in the city
  • SC Department of Commerce: announced the project
Power
  • Broad River Electric Cooperative: local provider, serves no data centers
  • Duke Energy: serves the corridor (not confirmed for this site)
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

93 records from 15 documents

Drawn from news reports, local government records, company statements, business registries, state agency records, public and commercial datasets and utility regulator dockets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 5Local government 4Company 4State agency 3Dataset 2Utility regulator 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (18)
  • SC PSC Docket 2026-138-E: generic proceeding on large load additions (50 MW and up) arising from the 2025 Duke rate-case settlements; parties include Google LLC, Lockhart Power Company and Dominion Energy SC. Cielo is NO
    “Petition to Establish a Generic Docket for the Purpose of Receiving Comments Addressing Large Load Additions”
    Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • Nearest gas pipeline: 1.338 km ; Transcontinental Gas Pipeline - D Line; Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company
    Measured on OpenStreetMap map data.
    OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
  • IT capacity: not stated
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility service: not stated
    “While Broad River Electric doesn't currently serve any data centers, the possibility of doing so in the future could create real benefits for our members”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • On-site generation: not stated
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility: not stated
    “While Broad River Electric doesn't currently serve any data centers, the possibility of doing so in the future could create real benefits for our members”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • SC Commerce / Governor announcement of Cielo's first South Carolina project: $2.1B, 30 jobs, four ~400,000 sq ft facilities plus an associated substation at 000 Ford Road, Gaffney; initial phase online by year-end 2028.
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Building sq ft: 1600000 sq ft
    “Located at 000 Ford Road in Gaffney, Cielo plans to develop a data center campus consisting of four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Interconnection status: No executed service agreement and no interconnection study on record: Cherokee County is Duke Energy Carolinas territory, but no Duke, SC PSC or sponsor record naming a study, service agreement, c
    “Located at 000 Ford Road in Gaffney, Cielo plans to develop a data center campus consisting of four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade B
  • Buildings: 4
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Square feet: 1600000 sq ft
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Substation: Associated electrical substation (unnamed, on-site)
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Power plan: grid
    “four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Cielo previously sold its Culpeper County, VA campus, which was taken over by EdgeCore - consistent with a powered-site developer/flip model rather than an owner-operator model.
    “The company was previously developing a large campus in Virginia's Culpeper County, though this has since been sold and taken over by Edgecore.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • The 288 MW figure is one article's per-building arithmetic and appears in no primary source; see conflicts.
    “Each building... approximately 72 megawatts... total of 288 megawatts”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Stated campus size: 300 MW
    “The site could total up to 300MW at full build-out”
    News report · June 2025 · grade C
  • Campus buildings: 4 buildings
    “Cielo plans to develop a data center campus consisting of four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet, along with an associated electrical substation.”
    Company · June 2025 · grade C
  • Stated campus size: 300 MW
    “The site could total up to 300MW at full build-out.”
    News report · June 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (16)
  • Fee in lieu of tax / SSRC / development agreement for Cielo: finding - no agreement located naming Cielo
    “Management has through December 29, 2025 considered whether events have occurred or circumstances exist subsequent to the date of the financial statements, and no such items have been identified”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • Cherokee County Council adopted Resolution Feb. 2025 and gave 1st reading to Ordinance 2025-22 authorizing a FILOT & SSRC agreement (with Multi-County Industrial Park benefits) for codenamed 'Project Kingfisher' - five wee
    “authorizing under certain conditions, the execution & delivery by Cherokee Co., SC, of a Fee in Lieu of Tax & Special Source Revenue Credit Agreement with Project Kingfisher”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • Fee in lieu of tax (FILOT) - Cherokee County program terms (Title 12, Ch. 44): investment floor
    “invest at least $2.5 million in taxable property (or some other negotiated investment floor) in Cherokee County within a 5 year period”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade A
  • Fee in lieu of tax (FILOT) - Cherokee County program terms (Title 12, Ch. 44): clawback - investment shortfall
    “if a taxpayer does not make the required investment within the 5 year period, then the reduced property taxes terminate and the taxpayer must repay Cherokee County the difference”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade A
  • Special Source Revenue Credits - Cherokee County program terms (Title 4, Ch. 1): clawback - investment/jobs shortfall
    “If the taxpayer does not meet its investment or job commitments, the taxpayer must repay a portion of the reduction.”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade A
  • Tenants: not stated
    “Cielo facilitates the expansion of digital infrastructure deployments by identifying sites ideal for data center development.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Tenant status: no tenant announced
    “Cielo facilitates the expansion of digital infrastructure deployments by identifying sites ideal for data center development.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Electric service / interconnection agreement: finding - no agreement located
    “While Broad River Electric doesn't currently serve any data centers, the possibility of doing so in the future could create real benefits for our members”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Tenant lease: finding - no agreement located
    “Cielo facilitates the expansion of digital infrastructure deployments by identifying sites ideal for data center development.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • State incentives (job development credits / Coordinating Council grant): finding - none announced
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Investment announced: $2.1 billion data center campus (four facilities of ~400,000 sq ft each plus an associated substation), per the SC Department of Commerce announcement
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Site address: 000 Ford Road, Gaffney, SC
    “Located at 000 Ford Road in Gaffney, Cielo plans to develop a data center campus consisting of four facilities, each approximately 400,000 square feet”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Stated capital cost: 2100000000 USD
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Jobs stated: 30 jobs
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • 30 new jobs expected from the $2.1B Cherokee County project per the state announcement; the announcement states hiring information will be made available closer to the start of operations (initial operations expected onl
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Investment: 2100000000 USD
    “The company plans to invest approximately $2.1 billion in the data center. The investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.”
    Company · June 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (8)
  • PSC docket / certificate: search - no campus docket found
    “Petition to Establish a Generic Docket for the Purpose of Receiving Comments Addressing Large Load Additions”
    Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • City zoning / land-use application: none filed
    “Discuss a draft zoning ordinance responding to the current moratorium on cryptocurrency mining & data center operations within the City and modifications to existing zoning districts.”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • City of Gaffney had a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining & data center operations and was drafting responsive zoning rules (an ID-2 district for data centers was reportedly adopted in 2026, press summaries only). Whethe
    “Discuss a draft zoning ordinance responding to the current moratorium on cryptocurrency mining & data center operations within the City and modifications to existing zoning districts.”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
  • City of Gaffney Planning Commission: Item 11: discuss a draft zoning ordinance responding to the current moratorium on cryptocurrency mining & data center operations within the City and modifications to existing zoning d
    “Discuss a draft zoning ordinance responding to the current moratorium on cryptocurrency mining & data center operations within the City and modifications to existing zoning districts.”
    Local government · Sept. 2025 · grade A
  • Cherokee County Council: Resolution No. Feb. 2025 adopted (FILOT & SSRC agreement with Project Kingfisher); Ordinance No. 2025-22 1st reading adopted (FILOT/SSRC + Multi-County Industrial Park, Project Kingfisher); Ordinan
    “authorizing under certain conditions, the execution & delivery by Cherokee Co., SC, of a Fee in Lieu of Tax & Special Source Revenue Credit Agreement with Project Kingfisher”
    Local government · May 2025 · grade A
  • Air quality construction permit: none found
    “Environmental Application Tracker contains information on the status of environmental applications received, approved, approved with conditions, withdrawn, cancelled, or denied by the Department of Environmental Services”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Construction stormwater / NPDES coverage: none found
    “Environmental Application Tracker contains information on the status of environmental applications received, approved, approved with conditions, withdrawn, cancelled, or denied by the Department of Environmental Services”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Broker flyer for a DIFFERENT parcel at 597 Ford Road, Gaffney (Tax Map ID 137-00-00-001.003; search-result evidence only) lists Duke Energy as electric provider and Gaffney Board of Public Works for water/sewer on the sa
    “Electric: Duke Energy; Water: Gaffney Board of Public Works; Sewer: Gaffney Board of Public Works”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (18)
  • County code: 45021
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure, today announced it selects Cherokee County to establish its first South Carolina development project”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • County code: Cherokee County, SC (45021)
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure, today announced it selects Cherokee County to establish its first South Carolina development project.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Current target date: Dec. 31, 2028
    “Initial operations are presently expected to be online by year-end 2028.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Construction stage: not stated
    “Initial operations are presently expected to be online by year-end 2028.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Stage: announced only
    “Initial operations are presently expected to be online by year-end 2028.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Broad River Electric Cooperative - one of four Cherokee County electric providers - states it serves no data centers; its wholesale provider Central Electric already maintains a special data center rate with cost-shift p
    “While Broad River Electric doesn't currently serve any data centers, the possibility of doing so in the future could create real benefits for our members”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Project status: announced only - no construction start confirmed
    “Initial operations are presently expected to be online by year-end 2028.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Name: Cielo Digital Infrastructure Cherokee County Campus
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure, today announced it selects Cherokee County to establish its first South Carolina development project.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Developer: Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure, today announced it selects Cherokee County to establish its first South Carolina development project.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Announced: June 24, 2025
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure, today announced it selects Cherokee County to establish its first South Carolina development project.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Original target date: Dec. 31, 2028
    “Initial operations are presently expected to be online by year-end 2028.”
    State agency · June 2025 · grade B
  • Arroyo Investors lists its investment in Cielo as realized in March 2026 (DCD). The buyer / current owner of Cielo is not identified in any source opened - sponsor continuity for the Cherokee County project is an open qu
    “Arroyo lists its investment in Cielo as realized in March 2026.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • DCD reported Cielo's website down at the time of writing; cieloinfra.com fetch failed on Oct 18, 2026.
    “At the time of writing, Cielo's website is down.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Site acres: 86 acres
    “The company is based in Spring, Texas, and has sites in 10 states, including the 86-acre Gaffney site.”
    News report · June 2025 · grade C
  • Site acres: 86 acres
    “The company is based in Spring, Texas, and has sites in 10 states, including the 86-acre Gaffney site.”
    News report · June 2025 · grade C
  • Construction stage: initial operations expected online by year-end 2028
    “The initial phase of operations is expected to be online in 2028.”
    Company · June 2025 · grade C
  • Current stage: announced
    “The initial phase of operations is expected to be online in 2028.”
    Company · June 2025 · grade C
  • Entity legal name: CIELO DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE LLC
    “Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC (Cielo), a provider of data center infrastructure”
    Company · June 2025 · grade C