Valara High Performance Compute Center

From orbit

The site from above

Satellite overview — Lower-resolution satellite image, Sept. 27, 2026. Pin: Valara site, the former Kohler plant, with the first site works for the compute center.

From orbit

Valara HPCC site

Latest clear view, Sept. 27, 2026. It comes from a lower-resolution satellite (10 m pixels), so buildings show as blocks of color, not detail. What we count on the Sept. 27, 2026 image:

1 roofed data hall (±1)
1 hall under construction (±1)
1 substation yard

Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet · 459 MW permitted (totals add sources with a stated size; they can overlap)

Phase I gas engine-generators (24 units)Permitted, under construction

50 MW

50.47 MW nameplate; state describes it as 48 MW; permit issued Sept. 17, 2025 State agency · Sept. 2025

Phase II simple-cycle gas turbines (11 units)Permitted, not built

409 MW

permit issued Sept. 18, 2026 with catalytic controls; the facility may not sell power to the grid State agency · Sept. 2026

Temporary generators (21 units)Permitted, temporary

31 MW

1,500 kW each; cannot run with the permanent units; six months on site at most State agency · Sept. 2026

Duke Energy grid, import onlyExisting tie, limited

13 MW

pre-existing substation; the campus cannot export, and no load-service agreement exists Utility regulator · July 2026

PermittedApproved

Getting on the grid

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

Sept. 17, 2025
Phase I air permit
The state permits 24 gas engines of about 50 MW under limits designed to avoid the major-source threshold. see Permits
March 4, 2026
Turbine application
The state receives the application for 11 turbines, the first public sign of the roughly 450 MW plan. State agency · Oct. 2026
Aug. 27, 2026
Utility commission declines jurisdiction
The commission rules the power-plant siting law does not apply to a private plant that serves only itself. News report · Oct. 2026
Sept. 18, 2026
Turbine air permit issued
The facility becomes a major source of air pollution and must certify it cannot sell power to the grid before any turbine runs. State agency · Sept. 2026

Duke Energy is the local utility but has no load-service agreement here; the campus runs on its own generation and uses the 13 MW tie only for backup or support. State agency · Oct. 2026
IT capacity in MW has not been disclosed; the 457 MW is generation, not computing capacity. State agency · Sept. 2026

On-site generation on file

Generating units on the permit: 6 units State agency · Sept. 2026
Generator maker and model: Baker Hughes (17 MW turbines); General Electric (54 MW turbines) State agency · Sept. 2026

What is next door

Distances from mapped lines and plants. OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026

Is it running?

Evidence from space

NO₂ over the site, net of the rural background, edged up from 1 to 6 µmol/m² between July–September 2025 and 2026, while the rural background fell 13% (25 to 22). The change is small next to normal swings, so it is not clear evidence of new combustion. Plant records also show no on-site power plant running yet. On record here: Phase I gas engine-generators (24 units), 50 MW, permitted; Phase II simple-cycle gas turbines (11 units), 409 MW, permitted. No rise fits a plant that is not running yet, or runs little; it does not prove either.

See all campuses checked →

NO₂ over the campus and over open country (µmol/m²)

Lines: 7-day (daily) / 3-week (weekly) averages; gaps from cloud filled by straight-line interpolation; dots are raw readings. Shaded: July–September 2025 and 2026, averaging 1 and 6 µmol/m² above open country.

What else could explain it

Cities, highways, oil and gas fields and power plants in or near the box also emit NO₂. Comparing the same months a year apart removes steady sources; a new source nearby would not cancel.
Weather moves NO₂ from day to day (wind, sunlight, cloud), and it builds up in winter. Subtracting the background box and comparing the same season a year apart removes most of that.

How this works: the Sentinel-5P satellite measures NO₂ in the air over every point on Earth once a day, around 1:30 p.m. local time, in pixels about 5.5 by 3.5 km. NO₂ comes from burning fuel (turbines, engines, traffic, power plants), so a rise over a site that open country does not share points to new combustion there. It shows combustion activity, not megawatts. The site box is about 15 km across; the background box is open country about 62 km away. We use only high-quality readings and drop days or weeks when cloud hides more than half of either box. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-5P (ESA), processed with the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem Sentinel Hub statistics service.

Permits

Permits checklist

1 contested · 1 pending · 4 granted · 1 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs (including an air permit for backup or on-site generators), and what we found.

!
Power-plant siting certificate Contested
SC Public Service Commission · Aug. 27, 2026: opponents' petition dismissed; reconsideration requested Sept. 24, 2026 News report · Sept. 2026
◷
County land-development application (four more buildings, power yard) Pending
Spartanburg County · Oct. 7, 2026: still pending News report · Oct. 2026
✓
Air permit, Phase I engines Granted
SC Department of Environmental Services · Sept. 17, 2025: 24 gas engines, about 50 MW State agency · Sept. 2025
✓
Air permit, Phase II turbines Granted
SC Department of Environmental Services · Sept. 18, 2026: 11 turbines, 409 MW; 600+ attended the hearing; a request for more comment was declined State agency · Sept. 2026
✓
County land-development permit (first phase) Granted
Spartanburg County · Aug. 2025: processed as minor, with no planning commission review (press) News report · Oct. 2026
✓
Tax-in-lieu agreements, property and equipment Granted
Spartanburg County Council · April 2025: approved while the project was unnamed News report · Aug. 2026
–
Checked, nothing on file: Federal aviation filings

Risks

What could slow it down

Medium
Appeals and reconsideration
The utility commission ruling may be reconsidered or appealed, and the court dismissal could be appealed. see Permits
Medium
Second county application
A separate application for four more buildings, a power yard and cooling is still pending. see Permits
Medium
Organized opposition
A group of 8,000+ members on Facebook, backed by a law center, drew 600+ to the air hearing. News report · Aug. 2026
Medium
Water figures changed
The company's own full build-out estimate of 1.2M gallons a day is more than double the earlier public figure. News report · Oct. 2026
Watch
No outside customer
The campus serves NorthMark's own affiliates, so there is no third-party tenant to validate the demand. State agency · July 2026

Lawsuits

3 cases on record

Dismissed Aug. 27, 2026; reconsideration requested Sept. 24 Utility commission petition, Docket 2026-158-E
SC Public Service Commission News report · Sept. 2026
asked the commission to require a siting certificate for the plant; one commissioner recused
Dismissed Oct. 6, 2026; appeal possible Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County v. Valara and the county
Seventh Judicial Circuit, South Carolina News report · Oct. 2026
alleged the county wrongly treated the next phase as a minor development; dismissed for lack of standing and unexhausted remedies
Filed July 27, 2026; outcome not in the record State regulatory staff petition, Docket 2026-194-E
SC Public Service Commission State agency · Aug. 2026
the state staff, which says the siting law requires a certificate, filed its own request

Money

Money on record

$2.76B

initial capital investment, sworn filing

commitments will exceed it; no project debt or outside raise found State agency · Oct. 2026

$10.5M to $15M a year

fee payments to the county, company says

two tax-in-lieu agreements with infrastructure credits Company · June 2026

$500K a quarter

local giving pledged by NorthMark

press News report · Oct. 2026

$20.5M

Land purchase from Kohler Co., recorded Mar. 2025

Kohler Co. to Valara Holdings LLC (county deed records) County deed records · March 2025

Land assembly

2 recorded land documents for the campus company in county records (March 2025 to Nov. 2025); 1 lists a price. 1 sale or conveyance by the campus company or to public bodies is not listed. Parcel counts come from the deed; acreage is not recorded.

March 2025 Kohler CO to Valara Holdings LLC · $20.5M · 2 parcels County deed records · March 2025
Nov. 2025 Numara LLC to Valara Holdings LLC · price not recorded · 4 parcels County deed records · Nov. 2025

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming

Feb. 2025
Money County council votes tax incentives for an unnamed 'Project Moc-1' News report · Aug. 2026
Feb. 25, 2025
Paper trail Valara Holdings LLC registered in South Carolina
March 10, 2025
Site Valara Holdings LLC buys the former Kohler plant site for $20.5M (county deed records) County deed records · March 2025
April 22, 2025
Site NorthMark announces a $2.8B investment, at least 27 jobs and first operations in Q3 2026 News report · Oct. 2026
Sept. 17, 2025
Permits State issues the Phase I air permit for 24 gas engines State agency · Sept. 2025
March 4, 2026
Permits State receives the application for 11 turbines State agency · Sept. 2026
June 22, 2026
Legal Citizens and a clean-energy group petition the utility commission to require a siting certificate State agency · June 2026
June 25, 2026
Permits More than 600 people attend the state's air-permit hearing State agency · Sept. 2026
July 6, 2026
Legal Opponents sue the county over how it processed the next phase News report · July 2026
Aug. 27, 2026
Legal Utility commission dismisses the petition State agency · Aug. 2026
Sept. 18, 2026
Permits State issues the turbine air permit for 409 MW State agency · Sept. 2026
Sept. 22, 2026
Permits County adopts a one-year moratorium on new data centers that excludes this campus News report · Sept. 2026
Oct. 6, 2026
Legal Circuit judge dismisses the residents' suit over the county permit (no standing, remedies not exhausted) News report · Oct. 2026

Construction activity

Satellite captures by quarter

Since Oct. 2025: 3 satellite captures.

Satellite

’26

Dot size: records in the quarter, largest = 2. Two-digit years mark each first quarter.

The buildings

Specs

~300 acres

former Kohler kitchen-and-bath plant, closed in 2024 (press)

News report · Aug. 2026

850,000 sq ft

announced program: 350,000 sq ft of warehouse reuse plus 500,000 sq ft of new buildings (press)

News report · April 2025

16 cooling towers

permitted as exempt equipment

State agency · Sept. 2026

1.2M gallons a day

average water use at full build-out, 1.6M peak, per the company's Feb. 2026 submission to the water utility; 459,000 was shared earlier

News report · Feb. 2026

150 jobs

permanent at full operation, company says; the 2025 announcement said at least 27

Company · Jan. 2026

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Developer and owners

Valara Holdings LLC: developer, owner and permit holder
NorthMark Strategies: parent investment firm, led by President Jen Byrne
NorthMark Compute & Cloud: operating affiliate; COO Mark Johnson signed the filings

Regulators and officials

SC Department of Environmental Services: air permits
SC Public Service Commission: dismissed the siting petition
SC Office of Regulatory Staff: says the siting law requires a certificate
Spartanburg County Council and planning staff

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas: import-only 13 MW tie
Spartanburg Water: water and sewer

Opponents

Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County
Southern Environmental Law Center and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Still unknown

Open questions

IT capacity in MW.
Whether the commission reconsiders or opponents appeal.
When the turbines are built and first power arrives.
Whether the second county application is approved.

Where this comes from

255 records from 44 documents

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

News report 18State agency 17Dataset 5Utility regulator 3Company 3SEC filing 1Satellite 0

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 (42)

EIA campd registration: not stated
“monitors the current status of existing and proposed generating units at electric power plants with 1 megawatt or greater of combined nameplate capacity”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Generating units on the permit: 5 units
“Permission is hereby granted to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired turbines”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Generating units on the permit: 6 units
“Permission is hereby granted to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired turbines”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Generator maker and model: Baker Hughes (17 MW turbines); General Electric (54 MW turbines)
“Six simple cycle 54 MW General Electric natural gas fired combustion turbines”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
On-site generation: 457 MW
“will be powered by onsite, behind-the-meter electric generation, with approximately 457 MW upon full buildout”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Interconnection status: No export interconnection exists or is contemplated; the air permit prohibits selling electricity to the grid and requires Valara to certify to DES, before any turbine operates, that the facility
“The facility is prohibited from selling electricity to the grid”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
On-site power technology: Natural gas reciprocating engine-generators (Phase I) + simple-cycle combustion turbines (Phase II), all with selective catalytic reduction and oxidation catalysts; NOx CEMS on turbines; 16 cool
“Permission is hereby granted to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired turbines with selective catalytic reduction and oxidation catalyst control devices”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Generator maker and model: Baker Hughes 17 MW class simple-cycle turbines (x5); General Electric 54 MW class simple-cycle turbines (x6); 2,103 kW natural gas engine-generators (x24, OEM not named in the permit)
“five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired Baker Hughes combustion turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired General Electric combustion turbines”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Cooling: Cooling towers (16, permitted as exempt equipment under CP-50000422)
“This includes one 100 hp emergency dieselfired fire pump engine, four natural gas fired hot water boilers, and sixteen cooling towers”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
generator interconnection request: construction permit issued
“Permission is hereby granted to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired turbines”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
generator interconnection request: petition dismissed - Commission lacks Siting Act jurisdiction over private behind-the-meter generation
“The HPCC is a privately owned industrial computing facility that will be powered by onsite, behind-the-meter electric generation, with approximately 457 MW upon full buildout”
Utility regulator · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Utility siting challenge: petition dismissed (motion to dismiss granted)
“This Order therefore GRANTS the Motion and dismisses the Petition and related requests”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Phases: Phase I: 24 natural gas engine-generators under CP-50000316 (issued Sep 17, 2025). Phase II: 11 simple-cycle turbines under CP-50000422 (issued Sep 18, 2026)
“Phase I, which is currently under construction, involves the installation of an initial set of natural gas-fired reciprocating engines with a combined generating capacity not exceeding 75 MW”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Power plan: onsite (behind-the-meter self-generation; no grid export permitted or physically configured; import-only 13 MW Duke Energy interconnection)
“The HPCC can import only 13 MW of electricity from Duke Energy, and it cannot export electricity to Duke Energy or to the grid as configured”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Utility: None for load service - self-supply. Duke Energy Carolinas is the incumbent grid utility; the site's only grid tie is a pre-existing 13 MW substation configured import-only
“The HPCC maintains an interconnection to Duke Energy's electric system through a pre-existing institutional 13 MW substation, but this is configured for import-only service”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Utility siting challenge: hearing on motion to dismiss
“On August 5, 2026, a hearing before the Commission was held on Valara's Motion to Dismiss”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Construction stage: Under construction - brownfield remediation performed at sponsor expense; Phase I engine plant and campus buildings under construction with ~1,445 construction workers on site daily (sponsor, July 202
“More than 1,445 construction workers are currently engaged in building the facility”
State agency · July 2026 · grade A
Utility siting challenge: procedural schedule held in abeyance
“the current procedural schedule issued by the Clerk's Office on June 26, 2026, is held in abeyance”
State agency · July 2026 · grade A
Utility siting challenge (declaratory order / rule to show cause): petition filed
“Valara Holdings, LLC, is actively constructing a large data center and 450-megawatt gasfired power plant in Spartanburg County”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
generator interconnection request: synthetic minor construction permit issued (Phase I)
“Air construction permit CP-50000316 was issued on September 17, 2025 for the installation of 24 natural gas fired generators.”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
Nearest power line of 345 kV or more: 20.41 km
Measured on OpenStreetMap map data.
OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
Nearest substation of 345 kV or more: 34.8 km
Measured on OpenStreetMap map data.
OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
Nearest gas pipeline: 0.4 km
Measured on OpenStreetMap map data.
OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
IT capacity: not stated
“Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center (Valara) is proposing to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired Baker Hughes combustion turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired General Electric combustion turbines”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Utility service: not stated
“The HPCC can import only 13 MW of electricity from Duke Energy, and it cannot export electricity to Duke Energy or to the grid as configured”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Stated campus size: not stated
“will be powered by onsite, behind-the-meter electric generation, with approximately 457 MW upon full buildout”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Grid operator: none (SERC region; Duke Energy Carolinas balancing area; no ISO/RTO)
“The HPCC maintains an interconnection to Duke Energy's electric system through a pre-existing institutional 13 MW substation, but this is configured for import-only service”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
On-site generation: 409 MW
“Derived from CP-50000422 v1.0 nameplates: 5 x 17 MW + 6 x 54 MW = 409 MW”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade B
On-site generation: 409 MW
“Derived from CP-50000422 v1.0 nameplates: 5 x 17 MW + 6 x 54 MW = 409 MW”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade B
On-site generation: 457 MW
“The HPCC is a privately owned industrial computing facility that will be powered by onsite, behind-the-meter electric generation, with approximately 457 MW upon full buildout”
Utility regulator · Aug. 2026 · grade B
On-site generation: 457 MW
“The HPCC is a privately owned industrial computing facility that will be powered by onsite, behind-the-meter electric generation, with approximately 457 MW upon full buildout”
Utility regulator · Aug. 2026 · grade B
Interconnection status: Self-supply by design; no grid-load position: SC PSC Docket No. 2026-158-E ended with the Commission granting Valara's motion to dismiss on Aug 27, 2026, holding it lacks Siting Act jurisdiction b
“The HPCC is not designed, and is not being built, to furnish electricity to the public or to export electricity to Duke Energy's grid”
Utility regulator · Aug. 2026 · grade B
Construction status: Phase I under construction (SC PSC Order, Aug 2026); Phase II construction permit issued Sep 18, 2026
“Phase I, which is currently under construction, involves the installation of an initial set of natural gas-fired reciprocating engines”
Utility regulator · Aug. 2026 · grade B
Utility: none - self-supply from on-site generation; the Duke Energy interconnection is import-only (about 13 MW) to support facility operations and cannot export power
“That interconnection permits the HPCC to purchase approximately 13 MW of electricity from Duke Energy, as needed, to support facility operations”
Utility regulator · July 2026 · grade B
Utility service: 13 MW
“That interconnection permits the HPCC to purchase approximately 13 MW of electricity from Duke Energy, as needed, to support facility operations”
Utility regulator · July 2026 · grade B
Generating units on the permit: 24 permanent engine-generators (2,103 kW each) + 11 turbines (5 x 17 MW + 6 x 54 MW) = 35 permanent units; plus 21 temporary 1,500 kW generators authorized by CP-50000316 v1.1 (may not run
“Twenty-Four 2103 kW Natural Gas Fired Generators”
State agency · April 2026 · grade B
NorthMark Strategies publicly announced: $2.8B investment, at least 27 jobs, self-generated power, initial operations targeted Q3 2026; FILOT ordinance approved by County Council the same month.
“The $2.8 billion investment will create at least 27 new jobs”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Valara submits its Large Water Meter Questionnaire to Spartanburg Water: 1.2M gpd average / 1.6M gpd peak at full buildout - 2.6x the 459,000 gpd figure previously shared publicly (attributed to a Phase I wastewater surv
“The company said it submitted the higher figures to Spartanburg Water on February 11, 2026”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Litigation status: PSC challenge DISMISSED Aug 27, 2026 (unanimous; Siting Act does not apply to internal-use generation; SELC may seek reconsideration/appeal). County land-development suit DISMISSED Oct 2026 by Judge J.
“A judge dismissed a lawsuit by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County challenging permits for Valara Holdings’ proposed $2.8 billion data center”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Utility siting challenge: reconsideration requested
“The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is asking the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) to reconsider its recent decision”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Construction stage: shell - site is under construction (500,000 sq ft of new buildings plus the on-site power plant at the former Kohler site); the SC PSC siting review was dismissed Aug 27, 2026 and the DES air permit i
“It did not include the controversial facility under construction by NorthMark Cloud and Compute, also known as Valara, on South Pine Street”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Water use stated: 1,200,000 gallons/day average and 1,600,000 gallons/day peak at full buildout - submitted to Spartanburg Water on February 11, 2026 via the project's Large Water Meter Questionnaire gal/day
“NorthMark Compute and Cloud now projects the Valara facility is expected to use an average of 1.2 million gallons of water per day at full buildout, with peak demand potentially reaching 1.6 million gallons”
News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C

Money and contracts (31)

Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): termination clawback
“the sponsor must recalculate the fee using a six percent ratio or such other ratio as the inducement agreement or lease agreement may provide”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Utility electric service: service agreement not found
“it cannot export electricity to Duke Energy or to the grid as configured”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit CP-50000422 v1.0 (conditions): emission caps Facility-wide federally enforceable caps: <250 TPY each NOx/CO/VOC (PSD avoidance); <10 TPY single HAP and <25 TPY total HAP (MACT avoidance); monthly
“facility-wide federally enforceable emissions limitations to limit its potential to emit to less than 250.0 tons per year for NOx, CO, and VOC emissions, each to avoid PSD”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit CP-50000422 v1.0 (conditions): no grid sale Facility is prohibited from selling electricity to the grid; before any turbine operates, Valara must submit a letter to DES certifying the facility lac
“The facility is prohibited from selling electricity to the grid”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit CP-50000422 v1.0 (conditions): title v conversion CP-50000422 removes the Title V avoidance limits of CP-50000316 v1.1; the facility becomes a Title V major source and must submit a Title V operat
“This permit will supersede federally enforceable limits on NOx, CO, and VOC established in construction permit CP-50000316 v1.1 to avoid Title V applicability”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Grid interconnection (import-only): capacity limit 13 MW
“converting the existing interconnection to export service would require additional significant construction and a new agreement with Duke Energy that is not budgeted or contemplated”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Stated capital cost: $2.76 billion initial capital investment, with projected capital commitments exceeding that amount (Valara sworn PSC filing, July 27, 2026)
“The project represents an initial capital investment of $2.76 billion, with projected capital commitments exceeding that amount”
State agency · July 2026 · grade A
Tenant status: Captive / owner-occupied - no third-party tenant, colocation offering, or external customer has been announced or found in any source opened
“computing facility that supports advanced computational workloads, like machine learning, scientific research, simulations, and largescale data analysis, for Valara, NMC2, and their affiliates”
State agency · July 2026 · grade A
Tenants: None - owner-occupied; computing services for common-ownership (NorthMark-affiliated) entities only
“Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center will host computing services to common ownership entities”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
Air construction permit CP-50000316 v1.0 (conditions): emission caps Facility-wide federally enforceable caps: <100 TPY each NOx/CO/VOC (Title V avoidance); <250 TPY each (PSD avoidance); <10 TPY single HAP and <25 TPY t
“The facility has requested federally enforceable emissions limitations to limit its potential to emit to less than 100.0 tons per year for NOx, CO, and VOC emissions, each”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
Financing: No project debt, financing facility, or external capital raise for Valara/NorthMark was found in any source opened; the sponsor is a private multi-strategy investment firm and describes the build as its own ca
“The project represents an initial capital investment of $2.76 billion, with projected capital commitments exceeding that amount”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
NorthMark acquired the former Kohler plant site (4000 South Pine Street) in early 2025 and began voluntary brownfield remediation at its own expense.
“In early 2025, we acquired the former Kohler site on South Pine Street”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Air construction permit CP-50000422 v1.0 (conditions): source testing Formaldehyde source testing required within 180 days of startup (permit condition B.28); until testing, emissions are calculated with the EPRI emissio
“prior to source testing, EPRI emission factor 9.1E-05 lb/106 Btu when operating at 80% load or 3.5E-04 lb/106 Btu when operating at <80% load”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade B
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): fee payments stated ~$10.5 million in 2026 rising to ~$15 million per year (company statement, 2026) USD
“we are projected to pay fees of about $10.5 million starting in this year, going up to 15 million”
Company · June 2026 · grade B
Land purchase (recorded deed): contract value USD
“Recorded: Nov. 4, 2025 · Grantor: VALARA HOLDINGS LLC · Grantee: NUMARA LLC · Parcel number: 7-1800-06100 · Address: 4000 S PINE ST · City: SPARTANBURG”
County deed records · Nov. 2025 · grade B
Land purchase (recorded deed): contract value USD
“Recorded: Nov. 4, 2025 · Grantor: NUMARA LLC · Grantee: VALARA HOLDINGS LLC · Parcel number: 7-1800-08901 · Address: S PINE ST · City: SPARTANBURG”
County deed records · Nov. 2025 · grade B
Land purchase (recorded deed): contract value 20500000 USD
“Recorded: March 10, 2025 · Price: $20,500,000 · Grantor: KOHLER CO · Grantee: VALARA HOLDINGS LLC · Parcel number: 7-1800-06101 · Address: 296 DOGWOOD CLUB RD · City: SPARTANBURG”
County deed records · March 2025 · grade B
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): assessment ratio 4 %
“the county has reduced the property tax assessment ratio for NorthMark from 10% to 4% for 40 years”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): term 40 years
“the county has reduced the property tax assessment ratio for NorthMark from 10% to 4% for 40 years”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): special source revenue credit SSRC against fee payments for infrastructure costs (amount not stated in any source opened)
“a Special Source Revenue Credit (SSRC) allows NorthMark to offset infrastructure costs”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County Council passes an inducement resolution for the undisclosed 'Project Moc-1' - the project enters the county record with the sponsor unnamed and the site undisclosed.
“Spartanburg County Council voted to award tax incentives to an undisclosed project listed on county documents as Project Moc-1”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
County Council unanimously passes first reading of the ordinance authorizing two FILOT agreements (real property; equipment) for Project Moc-1; Councilman David Britt publicly states the project is 'not a data center' an
“Spartanburg County Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing two separate fee-in-lieu of tax agreements”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
NorthMark pledges up to $500,000 per quarter in local philanthropic giving and publicizes projected county fee payments ($10.5M rising to $15M/yr) as opposition peaks - a deliberate community-relations campaign (project
“In 2025, NorthMark received a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive package from Spartanburg County Council”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Tenant status: none found - the campus is NorthMark/Valara's own computing operation (a converted bitcoin-mining site); no third-party tenant is named in any source checked
“$2.8B conversion of a former Kohler kitchen/bath plant (also a longtime bitcoin-mining site) into a computing center”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Incentives: Spartanburg County FILOT package approved April 2025: two fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (real property; equipment) with Special Source Revenue Credits; company states fee payments of ~$10.5M in 2026 rising to
“In 2025, NorthMark received a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive package from Spartanburg County Council to support development of the data center”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Square feet: 850,000 sq ft announced building program: 350,000 sq ft existing warehouse reuse (first three phases) + 500,000 sq ft vitreous plant (later phases); 500,000 sq ft of new buildings reported under construction
“The first three phases of the project will develop the existing 350,000 square feet of warehouse space, while later phases will develop a 500,000-square-foot vitreous plant”
News report · April 2025 · grade C
Stated capital cost: $2.8 billion (announced investment, April 2025)
“The $2.8 billion investment will create at least 27 new jobs”
News report · April 2025 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): jobs floor 27 permanent jobs (announcement figure; whether the executed agreements carry a 27-job floor was not verifiable without the agreement text) jobs
“The $2.8 billion investment will create at least 27 new jobs”
News report · April 2025 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement (real property): agreement
“Spartanburg County Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing two separate fee-in-lieu of tax agreements - one for the property, the other for investments in equipment”
News report · March 2025 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement (equipment): agreement
“one for the property, the other for investments in equipment”
News report · March 2025 · grade C
Fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (both): investment commitment $2.8 billion announced investment (the commitment figure in the county proceedings and announcement) USD
“aimed at attracting a company planning to invest $2.8 billion in a state-of-the-art data processing center”
News report · March 2025 · grade C

Permits and government (42)

SCDES receives Valara's first air permit application - for 24 engine-generators only; per DES, the application 'did not contain any information for any subsequent phases of construction'.
“construction permit application received on May 06, 2025, as amended”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
CP-50000316 v1.0 issued: 24 x 2,103 kW gas engine-generators (50.47 MW nameplate; DES frames 48 MW) with synthetic-minor caps <100 TPY.
“Permit Number: CP-50000316 v1.0 Agency Air Number: 2060-0674 Issue Date: September 17, 2025”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
SCDES receives the turbine-phase application (CP-50000422): 11 simple-cycle turbines, 409 MW - the first public-document appearance of the ~450 MW full-buildout plan, roughly a year after the county incentive proceedings
“construction permit application received on March 04, 2026, as amended”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
PSC Standing Hearing Officer Directive 2026-165-H holds the 2026-158-E schedule in abeyance under the parties' joint proposal to decide jurisdiction first.
“the current procedural schedule issued by the Clerk's Office on June 26, 2026, is held in abeyance”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Valara moves to dismiss the PSC petition (Johnson affidavit: $2.76B invested/committed, ~150 permanent jobs, 1,445 construction workers on site); the same day ORS files its own declaratory-order petition (Docket 2026-194
“More than 1,445 construction workers are currently engaged in building the facility”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
PSC hearing on the motion to dismiss; ORS tells the Commission the Siting Act's plain language requires a certificate.
“On August 5, 2026, a hearing before the Commission was held on Valara's Motion to Dismiss”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
CP-50000422 v1.0 issued: 409 MW of turbines permitted; CP-50000316's Title V avoidance limits removed - the facility becomes a Title V major source; total permitted on-site generation reaches the 457 MW full-buildout fig
“Permit Number: CP-50000422 v1.0 Agency Air Number: 2060-0674 Issue Date: September 18, 2026”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): application received
“construction permit application received on March 04, 2026, as amended”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): public notice and comment period
“This permit was previously placed on public notice and open for public comment on May 26, 2026. It was amended and placed on notice from June 2, 2026, through July 31, 2026”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): public meeting and hearing
“A public hearing was held by SCDES's Bureau of Air Quality on June 25, 2026, to receive oral and written comments on the proposed project”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): issued
“Permit Number: CP-50000422 v1.0 Agency Air Number: 2060-0674 Issue Date: September 18, 2026”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
SC Public Service Commission: Hearing / oral argument on Valara's motion to dismiss in Docket 2026-158-E (threshold jurisdiction phase)
“On August 5, 2026, a hearing before the Commission was held on Valara's Motion to Dismiss”
State agency · Aug. 2026 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): application received
“construction permit application received on May 06, 2025, as amended”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): public comment period
“the formal comment period held July 18, 2025, through August 16, 2025, regarding the draft synthetic minor construction permit for Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): issued
“Permit Number: CP-50000316 v1.0 Agency Air Number: 2060-0674 Issue Date: September 17, 2025”
State agency · Sept. 2025 · grade A
FAA status: No FAA OE/AAA case attributable to Valara: circle pulls at the county centroid (22 cases) and site point (23 cases) show no case at 4000 S Pine St; nearest cases are Walmart cranes ~1.2 mi from the estimated
“FAA circle pulls at 34.930713,-81.99065 and 34.905,-81.945 returned 22 and 23 cases”
FAA · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Filing record: Valara Holdings LLC has no Form D and no SEC filing. EDGAR’s 26 "Valara" hits (and 19 Form D hits) are all Valara Partners, LP, an unrelated investment fund (2012-2021). Parent per the PSC order is NorthMa
“EDGAR full-text and Form D searches for "Valara" return only Valara Partners, LP filings from 2012-2021”
SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Source record
“This Order therefore GRANTS the Motion and dismisses the Petition and related requests”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
CP-50000316 amended (v1.1) to add 21 temporary 1,500 kW generators (max six months on site; no concurrent operation with the permanent units - amendment detail per the SCDES project page).
“limits on NOx, CO, and VOC established in construction permit CP-50000316 v1.1 to avoid Title V applicability”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
SCDES public meeting and hearing on draft CP-50000422 in Spartanburg draws 600+ attendees; organized opposition is now the dominant public fact about the project.
“A public meeting and public hearing were held on June 25, 2026 and were attended by over 600 members of the public”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
SELC letters SCDES asking for additional notice and comment on CP-50000422 (post-draft change to the formaldehyde emission factor); DES declines - no legal requirement for a second comment period (page updated Oct 14, 20
“On Oct.1, 2026, SCDES received a letter from Southern Environmental Law Center requesting additional notice and comment”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Air permit post-issuance challenge: request for additional comment period - declined
“On Oct.1, 2026, SCDES received a letter from Southern Environmental Law Center requesting additional notice and comment for the second Synthetic Minor Air Construction Permit issued to Valara on September 18, 2026”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
SC Department of Environmental Services, Bureau of Air Quality: Public meeting, availability session and public hearing on draft air permit CP-50000422 (turbine phase)
“A public meeting and public hearing were held on June 25, 2026 and were attended by over 600 members of the public”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Synthetic Minor Construction Permit (air): Issued Sept. 18, 2026
“Permission is hereby granted to construct five simple cycle 17 MW natural gas fired turbines and six simple cycle 54 MW natural gas fired turbines with selective catalytic reduction and oxidation catalyst control devices”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade B
Construction permit (air, prior): Superseded in part by CP-50000422 v1.0 (Sept. 18, 2026)
“This permit will supersede federally enforceable limits on NOx, CO, and VOC established in construction permit CP-50000316 v1.1 to avoid Title V applicability”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade B
Air construction permit (synthetic minor): amended
“limits on NOx, CO, and VOC established in construction permit CP-50000316 v1.1 to avoid Title V applicability”
State agency · April 2026 · grade B
Spartanburg County approves the minor land development permit for redevelopment of the former Kohler plant - the staff-level classification that becomes the core of the 2026 ULMO litigation.
“A permit to redevelop the former Kohler plant was approved in August 2025”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
PSC votes to grant Valara's motion to dismiss - no jurisdiction over a private behind-the-meter facility; enforcement under Ch. 33 belongs to ORS. Commissioner David Britt (the project's former county-council champion, s
“One commissioner, David Britt, a former member of the Spartanburg County Council who supported Valara's move to the county, recused himself from the vote”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County adopts a one-year moratorium on NEW data center development (third reading, 5-1) that expressly excludes Valara - the county regulates the next project, not this one.
“There is no basis for adding Valara to the one-year data center ban because of public safety and health concerns, Abusaft said”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
SELC asks the PSC to reconsider its dismissal; SELC states the Commission has 30 days to decide. No decision reported by October 18, 2026.
“According to SELC lawyers, the commission has 30 days to decide on its request”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Land development permit (minor): approved
“A permit to redevelop the former Kohler plant was approved in August 2025, while a separate application covering four additional buildings, a power yard and cooling systems remains pending”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Land development application (second phase): pending
“a separate application covering four additional buildings, a power yard and cooling systems remains pending”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Land development classification suit (ULMO): dismissed
“Judge Derham Cole Jr. dismissed a case brought by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County against Valara and Spartanburg County administration”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County Council: Third reading: one-year moratorium on NEW data center development adopted (small-scale exception at or below 65 MW); Valara expressly NOT included after three public safety committee fact-gath
“There is no basis for adding Valara to the one-year data center ban because of public safety and health concerns, Abusaft said”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
SC DES granted the air permit (Sep 18, 2026) for 11 natural gas turbines adding 408 MW to the 48 MW already permitted - 457 MW total, matching the affidavit figure; the DES permit record itself is A4 scope
“granted NorthMark and Valara an air permit on 18 September 2026 to build 11 natural gas turbines at the Pine Street data center in Spartanburg, adding 408 MW to the 48 MW already permitted”
News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
SC PSC ruled unanimously (Aug 27, 2026) that the Utility Facility Siting Act does not apply to the HPCC because its generation is internal-use only; SELC could still seek reconsideration or appeal to the SC Supreme Court
“because "the facility will not export power generated to the electric grid for public use," the Siting Act does not apply to the HPCC”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
SC Public Service Commission: Commission vote granting Valara's motion to dismiss Docket 2026-158-E (no subject-matter jurisdiction over private behind-the-meter generation)
“One commissioner, David Britt, a former member of the Spartanburg County Council who supported Valara's move to the county, recused himself from the vote”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County Council: FILOT ordinance final approval for Project Moc-1; sponsor publicly announced as NorthMark Strategies / Valara Holdings days later (April 21-22, 2025)
“In 2025, NorthMark received a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive package from Spartanburg County Council to support development of the data center”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Opposition: Organized, sustained opposition: Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County (8,000+ member Facebook group per SELC), represented by SELC with SACE; 600+ attendees at the June 25, 2026 DES hearing; county public
“An opposition group on Facebook has reached over eight thousand members”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County Council: Inducement resolution for the undisclosed 'Project Moc-1' (intent to enter FILOT and Special Source Revenue Credit agreements)
“Spartanburg County Council voted to award tax incentives to an undisclosed project listed on county documents as Project Moc-1”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Land development classification suit (ULMO): lawsuit filed
“On July 6, SELC attorneys filed a lawsuit in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court”
News report · July 2026 · grade C
Spartanburg County Council: First reading of ordinance authorizing two fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements (real property; equipment) for Project Moc-1
“Spartanburg County Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing two separate fee-in-lieu of tax agreements”
News report · March 2025 · grade C

Legal (6)

Concerned Citizens + SACE petition the SC PSC (Docket 2026-158-E) to declare the Siting Act applicable, order a CECPCN, and halt construction of the >75 MW plant.
“Valara Holdings, LLC, is actively constructing a large data center and 450-megawatt gasfired power plant in Spartanburg County”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
SELC sues Valara and Spartanburg County in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, alleging the county unlawfully processed the next phase as a minor (not major) land development under the ULMO.
“On July 6, SELC attorneys filed a lawsuit in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Opponents request temporary injunctive relief in the circuit-court case (per SCETA's docket summary) while the PSC matter is pending.
“The PSC heard oral arguments Aug. 5; an Aug. 26 hearing is listed in abeyance. Separately, opponents have sought temporary court relief over the county land-development process”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Judge Derham Cole Jr. dismisses the ULMO suit (standing; failure to exhaust administrative remedies), ending the injunction bid; construction continues uninterrupted. Plaintiffs said they remain committed to the fight; a
“Judge Derham Cole Jr. dismissed a case brought by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County against Valara and Spartanburg County administration”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Lawsuits: Two opposition actions: (1) SC PSC Docket 2026-158-E petition (filed Jun 22, 2026) - dismissed by Commission vote Aug 27, 2026; SELC reconsideration requested Sep 24, 2026, pending at Oct 18, 2026. (2) Seventh
“Judge Derham Cole Jr. dismissed a case brought by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County against Valara and Spartanburg County administration”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
County land-development suit (Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County) dismissed by Judge J. Derham Cole Jr.; reported Oct 7, 2026 - the second of the campus’s two 2026 legal challenges to resolve in Valara’s favor
“A judge dismissed a lawsuit by Concerned Citizens of Spartanburg County challenging permits for Valara Holdings’ proposed $2.8 billion data center”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C

Site and other (17)

Name: Valara High Performance Compute Center
“Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center, 4000 S Pine Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302, Spartanburg County”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Owner companies: Valara Holdings LLC
“Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Address: 4000 South Pine Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302
“4000 S Pine Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Site history: Former Kohler Co. kitchen-and-bath manufacturing plant (operated 66 years; closed 2024 in a consolidation affecting 72 employees); brownfield - legacy landfill remediated, graywater ponds excavated, asbesto
“The site included a legacy landfill used by previous occupants of the property. This landfill has been remediated, and environmental monitoring is in place”
State agency · Sept. 2026 · grade A
Developer: Valara Holdings LLC (subsidiary of NorthMark Strategies; affiliate of NorthMark Compute & Cloud LLC)
“Valara is an affiliate of NorthMark Compute & Cloud (NMC2), an information technology company and provider of cloud computing solutions and IT services to its affiliated entities”
State agency · July 2026 · grade A
County code: 45083
“FCC census block find for latitude 34.9230664 longitude -81.851905 returned County FIPS 45083, name Spartanburg County”
Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Aliases: MOC-1; Project Moc-1; NorthMark Cloud and Compute Spartanburg; South Pine Street Technology Center
“A high-performance technology center on the former Kohler site”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
County code: 45083
“Spartanburg County”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Current target date: not stated
“More than 1,445 construction workers are currently engaged in building the facility”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Land control: Site acquired by NorthMark in early 2025 (former Kohler Co. plant site, 4000 South Pine Street); purchase price not disclosed in any source opened
“In early 2025, we acquired the former Kohler site on South Pine Street”
Company · Jan. 2026 · grade B
Jobs permanent stated: 150 permanent jobs at full operation (company, 2026)
“At full operation, we anticipate approximately 150 permanent on-site roles”
Company · Jan. 2026 · grade B
Acres: 300 acres
“the center, located on 300 acres southeast of the city of Spartanburg”
News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Water use stated: 460,000-581,000 gallons/day (average to maximum daily draw) as reported by the Post and Courier in May 2026 gal/day
“will use somewhere between 460,000 and 581,000 gallons of water per day, according to reporting from The Post and Courier's Christian Boschult”
News report · May 2026 · grade C
Water use stated: 459,000 gallons/day - the figure initially shared publicly, later attributed by the company to a Phase I wastewater survey (not full buildout)
“NorthMark attributed the earlier figure of approximately 459,000 gallons per day to a Phase I wastewater survey”
News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
Announced: April 22, 2025
“NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, announced it selects Spartanburg County to establish the company's first South Carolina operation”
News report · April 2025 · grade C
Original target date: Q3 2026 (initial operations, per the April 2025 announcement)
“Initial operations are expected to be online in the third quarter of 2026 with further development phases to follow”
News report · April 2025 · grade C
Code names: Project Moc-1
“For now, the company has dubbed the proposed investment Project Moc-1, he said”
News report · March 2025 · grade C

Imagery and records: Satellite imagery: Maxar via Esri World Imagery Wayback; Sentinel-2 (ESA Copernicus). County deeds: ATTOM.