Data center profile · 2143 Hands Mill Highway, unincorporated York County (Lake Wylie and Rock Hill area), South Carolina

QTS York County (Hands Mill Highway)

QTS's first South Carolina campus, nine buildings near Lake Wylie, on York Electric Cooperative power; commitment grown from $1 billion to over $8 billion.

Under construction. The first of nine buildings topped out by mid-2026; phase two is expected to break ground in early 2027 (press). York Electric Cooperative serves it under a May 2026 Duke Energy wholesale deal (Phase II). No MW or tenant published.
9 buildings
planned in three phases
first building topped out (county and press, 2026)
$8B+
long-term investment QTS has committed
county figure; up from $1B announced in 2023
173 acres
sold to QTS by York County
approved after three readings and a public hearing
Not published
campus power in MW
QTS says only 'hundreds' of megawatts
OperatorQTS Data Centers (owned by Blackstone)
CustomerNone named; QTS cites hyperscale, enterprise and government customers generally
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2027 (range 2027 to 2028); company says 2027.
Next stepPhase 2 groundbreaking, expected in early 2027 (press)
Power

Power and the grid

Contracted, size not disclosed

Sources on record, size not disclosed

Getting on the grid

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

  1. 2023
    Phase I transmission agreement
    A Duke Energy facilities study is prepared for the site and an agreement to build transmission facilities is executed. Utility regulator · 2023
  2. May 5, 2026
    Wholesale power deal for Phase II
    Duke Energy Carolinas agrees to sell capacity and energy to Central Electric so York Electric can serve QTS's second phase; filed with the state utility commission. Utility regulator · May 2026
  3. Not set
    Load size: not public
    Neither the filing's public version nor the county states a MW figure. Local government · Oct. 2026
Permits

Permits checklist

3 granted · 1 checked, nothing on file

County approvals and state filings on record, and what we could not find.

Risks

What could slow it down

Money

Money on record

$8B+
long-term investment committed (county)
July 2026 Local government · July 2026
$1B
investment announced in 2023 (press)
QTS's first South Carolina project News report · 2023
$200,000
state grant for site preparation
paid through York County Local government · Sept. 2023
Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. Sept. 18, 2023
    Money County council approves a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with QTS Local government · Sept. 2023
  2. Sept. 19, 2023
    Site QTS announces its first South Carolina operations in York County Local government · Sept. 2023
  3. June 2025
    Permits County raises the height limit to fit QTS's lower-water cooling design Local government · June 2025
  4. Feb. 6, 2026
    Permits County moves data centers from a permitted use to a special exception (first reading) News report · Feb. 2026
  5. Feb. 11, 2026
    Site Neighbors report construction noise, blasting and night lighting; a petition nears 800 signatures (press) News report · Feb. 2026
  6. May 5, 2026
    Power Duke Energy wholesale power deal signed for QTS's second phase Utility regulator · May 2026
  7. July 1, 2026
    Construction First building topped out by Gilbane (press) News report · July 2026
  8. July 13, 2026
    Permits Nine-month county moratorium passes 6-0; QTS's approved buildings are exempt News report · July 2026
  9. 2027
    Construction Second phase expected to break ground, early in the year (press) News report · July 2026
  10. April 2027
    Permits County moratorium ends unless extended News report · July 2026
The buildings

Specs

4 buildings, 109 acres
first phase (press)
News report · July 2026
400 acres
site size QTS described in 2023 (press)
News report · 2023
200 jobs
permanent on-site jobs, with up to 1,000 in construction (press)
News report · July 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owner
  • QTS Data Centers: developer and operator
  • Blackstone: owner of QTS (press)
Builder
  • Gilbane: general contractor
Power
  • York Electric Cooperative: retail supplier
  • Central Electric Power Cooperative: wholesale buyer
  • Duke Energy Carolinas: wholesale seller and transmission
Government
  • York County Council: land sale, tax agreement, zoning and moratorium
Opponents
  • Neighbors including the Penland Christmas Tree Farm family; resident petitions
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

41 records from 10 documents

Drawn from news reports, local government records and utility regulator dockets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 6Local government 2Utility regulator 2
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 (4)
  • QTS diesel generators at the York campus are emergency backup only, tested monthly; York County's data center FAQ confirms they are not the main power source. No generator MW figure is published in the sources reviewed.
    “QTS diesel generators are used for emergency backup purposes only and are not the main source of power for their data centers”
    Local government · 2026 · grade B
  • Phase 1 is four buildings across 109 acres; phase 2 groundbreaking expected early 2027; up to 1,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent on-site jobs; closed-loop cooling and York Electric Cooperative power supply
    “The first phase of construction will include four buildings across 109 acres. The second phase is expected to break ground in early 2027.”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • York Electric Cooperative is the retail power supplier for the campus (nine buildings, three phases, 2143 Hands Mill Highway; first building topped out).
    “York Electric Cooperative will serve as power supplier”
    News report · 2026 · grade C
  • QTS's website describes the 400-acre site as offering 'hundreds' of megawatts of capacity - marketing language with no figure on any basis, so no MW row is made
    “On its website, QTS said the 400-acre site would offer 'hundreds' of megawatts of capacity.”
    News report · 2023 · grade C
Money and contracts (10)
  • wholesale power purchase agreement: power purchase
    “provide retail electric service to QTS Realty Trust, LLC or its successor or permitted assignee (QTS) for QTS's second phase of a new data center (QTS Phase II)”
    Utility regulator · May 2026 · grade A
  • County states QTS has now committed more than $8 billion in long-term investment in York County, up from the $1 billion announced in 2023; county cites about $5 million/yr to Clover School District per $1 billion investe
    “QTS has committed more than $8 billion in long-term investment in York County.”
    Local government · July 2026 · grade B
  • Council accommodated QTS's request for additional building height (cooling systems needing less water) with a Zoning Code text amendment in June 2025, and approved an agreement for road improvements
    “Council accommodated the request for additional height with a Zoning Code text amendment in June 2025, after the prescribed three readings and public hearing.”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade B
  • road improvements: infrastructure
    “Additionally, Council approved an agreement for road improvements.”
    Local government · 2025 · grade B
  • site improvement grant (pass-through): grant
    “QTS received a site improvement grant from the State of South Carolina, of which York County served as the 'pass through' organization.”
    Local government · 2025 · grade B
  • fee in lieu of taxes (FILOT): tax abatement
    “The FILOT was approved by the Council on September 18, 2023.”
    Local government · Sept. 2023 · grade B
  • County sold QTS 173 acres, approved by Council after three readings and a public hearing; a Fee in Lieu of Taxes (FILOT) resolution was committed and the FILOT was approved Sept 18, 2023; no rezoning was required (by-rig
    “The sale of 173 acres of property from the County to QTS was approved by the Council following the prescribed process of three readings and a public hearing.”
    Local government · Sept. 2023 · grade B
  • land sale: land conveyance 173 acres
    “The sale of 173 acres of property from the County to QTS was approved by the Council following the prescribed process of three readings and a public hearing.”
    Local government · 2023 · grade B
  • A Duke Energy Facilities Study Report was prepared for service at 2135 Hands Mill Hwy, York, SC, and an Agreement for Construction of Transmission Facilities was executed in 2023 (Phase I service arrangements), per a Yor
    “necessary to serve Consumer's facility as described in the Duke Energy Facilities Study Report prepared by DEC for CEPCI for service at 2135 Hands Mill Hwy, York, SC”
    Utility regulator · 2023 · grade B
  • Project identity: QTS data center campus (early code name 'Project Cobra'), unincorporated York County, SC near Hands Mill Highway and Campbell Road (2143 Hands Mill Highway), Lake Wylie / Rock Hill area; marketed by QTS
    “The $1 billion project, located near Hands Mill Highway and Campbell Road in unincorporated York County, will be the company's first project in the state.”
    News report · 2023 · grade C
Permits and government (7)
  • York County's nine-month moratorium on new data centers (third reading July 13, 2026) exempts projects with vested rights; QTS's nine buildings may be developed accordingly because their site plan approvals predate the o
    “Because the site plan approvals occurred prior to the moratorium ordinance, those site plans are considered to have vested rights and may be developed accordingly.”
    Local government · July 2026 · grade B
  • York County Council:
    “Council accommodated the request for additional height with a Zoning Code text amendment in June 2025, after the prescribed three readings and public hearing.”
    Local government · June 2025 · grade B
  • County code: 45091
    “The sale of 173 acres of property from the County to QTS was approved by the Council following the prescribed process of three readings and a public hearing.”
    Local government · Sept. 2023 · grade B
  • York County Council:
    “A resolution was passed by the Council to commit to a Fees in Lieu of Taxes (FILOT) agreement with QTS.”
    Local government · Sept. 2023 · grade B
  • York County Council:
    “York County Council gave final approval Monday night to a nine month moratorium on new data center development in the county's unincorporated areas, voting 6-0”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Opposition led by the neighbouring Penland Christmas Tree Farm (family-owned since 1966): a petition against construction gathered nearly 1,000 signatures over energy-price and water-supply concerns; residents also press
    “A petition against the data center's construction has garnered nearly 1,000 signatures from community members worried about the negative impacts on energy prices and the local water supply.”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • York County Council (special meeting):
    “the ordinance, which invokes the pending ordinance doctrine to take immediate effect, moves data centers from a 'permitted' use to a 'special exception' in Light Industrial (LI) and Industrial Development (ID) zones”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (2)
  • Project status: under construction first building topped out
    “QTS has nine buildings in various stages of development at its active site in York County.”
    Local government · July 2026 · grade B
  • Residents near the Hands Mill Highway site report construction noise, blasting and night lighting; a resident petition reached nearly 800 signatures (WBTV, February 2026)
    “Armstrong started a petition, that's reached nearly 800 signatures, sharing more information about the project.”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C