Greenwood SC Politics & Civic News — Page 14
Covering Greenwood City Council, Greenwood County Council, South Carolina General Assembly, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Greenwood County residents.
Greenwood County sits inside one of the most layered governmental structures in the region. Residents answer to at least five levels of elected authority simultaneously: the federal government, statewide offices, Greenwood County Council, Greenwood City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county.
Greenwood’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Sheri Biggs (SC District 3) and Senators Darline Graham and Tim Scott. In Columbia, Greenwood is represented by Sen. Billy Garrett (District 10) and Reps. Daniel Gibson (District 12) and John R. McCravy III (District 13).
Greenwood County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Greenwood Police Department budget run through Greenwood City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the South Carolina General Assembly. The Greenwood County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under SC Election Commission oversight.
HERE Greenwood covers Greenwood County Council meetings, Greenwood City Council sessions, South Carolina General Assembly session, federal delegation votes and town halls, school board meetings, and candidate filing windows. We also pull FOIA-sourced travel records and contracts at both the city and county level. If it shapes how Greenwood County is governed, it’s HERE.
HERE! NOW! — Politics
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Every official with a vote on Greenwood's future — pulled live from our roster.
Data Center Greenwood
DATA CENTER: NEWS, INFORMATION & RESOURCE CENTER FOR GREENWOOD
Full resource center →HERE Greenwood has been following data-center decisions that reach Greenwood — the stories are below, along with every official body that would have a say.
A data center in or near Greenwood would first need local land-use approval through City of Greenwood, and Greenwood County Council weighs in on land outside city limits and on tax incentives. The Public Service Commission of South Carolina is the state utility regulator; it reviews rates and large-customer power contracts for the utilities it oversees. Air and water permits come from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.
National context: Federal energy researchers estimate data centers used about 4.4% of all U.S. electricity in 2023 and could use 6.7% to 12% by 2028, which is why utility commissions, local boards, and voters are now central to where these campuses land. U.S. Department of Energy report
What’s on file near Greenwood
- On file so farNo local data-center campus vote is on file for Greenwood yet; here is HERE Greenwood's reporting so far.
HERE Greenwood data center coverage
- From HERE GreenwoodOct 23, 2026 · SC
Greenwood Lawmakers Draft Statewide Rules for Data Centers
GREENWOOD, S.C. — Two Greenwood County members of the S.C. House are writing a bill that would set statewide ground rules for data centers, from how…
Who decides: zoning, councils, utility regulators & permits
Zoning & Planning
State Utility Regulator
Environmental, Water & Air Permits
From across the HERE network
- From HERE ColumbiaOct 27, 2026 · SC
Data Center Rules Set to Headline SC Legislative Session
COLUMBIA, S.C. — How South Carolina handles the wave of proposed data centers is shaping up as one of the biggest fights waiting for the General…
- From HERE ColumbiaOct 20, 2026 · SC
Sen. Devine Plans Data Center Town Hall in Columbia Oct. 25
COLUMBIA, S.C. — State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine wants Columbia residents to come with questions about data centers. She is hosting an educational town hall on…
- From HERE SpartanburgOct 14, 2026 · SC
Tyger River Crypto Mine Set to Become 50-Megawatt Data Center
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A former crypto mining site in Tyger River Industrial Park is being turned into a data-center campus, with a late-2027 target to…
- From HERE SpartanburgNov 4, 2026 · SC
Three Data Center Deals Clear Second Vote in Spartanburg
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Spartanburg County Council pushed three data center development agreements one step from final approval Tuesday, voting yes on second reading at a special…
- From HERE ColumbiaOct 27, 2026 · SC
Data Center Super PAC Spends Big for Graham
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The statewide fight over data centers and the economic investment they promise has moved from county council chambers into the U.S. Senate race…
- From HERE SpartanburgOct 24, 2026 · SC
Council Backs NorthMark Data Center Deal Draft in Spartanburg
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Spartanburg County Council has taken the first of three votes on a development agreement for the $2.8 billion NorthMark data center going up…
Updated weekly. Last updated Nov 6, 2026.
Quick Resources
Greenwood is in Greenwood County, South Carolina. Mayor, City of Greenwood: Brandon A. Smith; City Manager, City of Greenwood: Julie Wilkie; County Manager, Greenwood County: Toby Chappell.
Latest Greenwood Politics News — Page 14
SC Governor Vetoes State Budget Items
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced his line-item vetoes for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 state budget. The Governor's office stated that the final budget incorporates 92% of his…
Senator Ossoff calls Trump ‘draft-dodging, crook president’
US Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, recently escalated his public dispute with President Donald Trump, referring to him as a draft-dodging, crook president during a campaign…
Two Dan Sullivans, Mary Peltola in Alaska Senate Race
The U.S. Senate race in Alaska is set to feature two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the November ballot, alongside Democrat Mary Peltola. Preliminary results released by the…
USS Lincoln Deployment Woes Highlight US Navy Strain
Reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier during its extended deployment have brought renewed scrutiny to the US Navy's capacity for prolonged conflict, particularly in the…
UAE Halts Iran Trade After Missile Report
The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran, following reports of two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward UAE territorial waters. The UAE…
Donalds, Jolly Win Florida Gubernatorial Primaries
Byron Donalds, a congressman endorsed by Donald Trump, has secured the Republican nomination for governor in Florida. Donalds will now face Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman,…
Greenwood Watches as Senator Whitehouse Renews Push for Supreme Court Term Limits
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is preparing to reintroduce legislation aimed at imposing 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices and overhauling the judicial appointment process, a move he…
U.S.-Iran Tensions in Strait of Hormuz Raise Energy Concerns for Greenwood
The United States has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports following renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global crude oil shipments. This escalation,…
U.S.-Iran Tensions Drive Oil Prices Higher, Raising Concerns in Greenwood
Renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran in the vicinity of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz emerged in the July 15 cycle, prompting concerns in…
Greenwood Watches as U.S. Strikes in Iran Raise Economic Concerns
U.S. military forces have conducted strikes against targets in Iran, according to international and U.S. reporting. These actions follow a series of attacks on commercial ships operating near…
Supreme Court Justices Testify Before Congress on Budget and Security, With Implications for Greenwood
In an unusual public appearance, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before a congressional panel this week, addressing the federal judiciary’s budget and security…
U.S. Strikes in Iran Follow Strait of Hormuz Attacks, Raising Global Economic Questions for Greenwood
United States military forces have conducted strikes against targets in Iran, according to international and U.S. reporting. These actions come in the wake of recent attacks on commercial…





