South Carolina State Profile
Last Updated: 9/14/26 — Updated Monthly
STATE OF PLAY
As of July 2026, South Carolina ranked 14th in the nation for clean energy deployment, with 13.8 GW of operating clean energy capacity and an additional 2.1 GW planned. As of 2024, South Carolina’s clean energy industry employed over 48,000 workers, a 16% increase since 2020. The state is also home to 51 planned or operating data centers, which have faced opposition from residents. Despite South Carolina’s growing clean energy economy, Trump and Republicans have threatened over 5,200 clean energy jobs, threatened the loss of 10 GW of new energy generation needed to meet rising demand, and led to a 12% increase in energy costs.
ENERGY BREAKDOWN
- In 2025, clean energy accounted for 8% of South Carolina’s total electricity net generation, with solar power accounting for 4%.
- In 2025, South Carolina’s solar generation was 90 times greater than in 2015.
- As of July 2026, South Carolina was home to 13.8 GW of operating clean energy capacity, ranking 14th nationwide.
- As of July 2026, an additional 2.1 GW of clean energy capacity was planned in the state, enough energy to power more than 383,000 homes.
- As of June 2026, South Carolina’s average residential electricity rate was 15.55 cents/kWh, up 5% from the year prior.
- Average electricity costs in South Carolina are up 12% since Trump took office.
- Since 2025, at least five South Carolina utilities enacted or proposed rate hikes totaling over $982 million, affecting over 1.7 million electricity customers and 164,000 gas customers.
- As of August 2026, South Carolina was home to 51 planned or operating data centers, the 9th most nationally.
- The OBBBA was expected to cause a loss of 10 GW of generation capacity in South Carolina, threatening grid reliability and higher costs as energy demand rises.
CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS & JOBS
- Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, 40 new clean energy projects announced in South Carolina were set to create 18,412 new clean energy jobs.
- In 2024, South Carolina’s clean energy industry employed 48,238 workers, a 16% increase since 2020.
- The Trump administration has put eight clean energy projects in South Carolina on the chopping block, jeopardizing 5,220 jobs and over $3.6 billion in investment.
| Clean Energy Projects Announced Since IRA Passage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Summary | Projected Jobs | Investment | Project Status |
| American Battery Technology Company Commercial Scale Battery Recycling Facility | In September 2024, American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) announced that it would open a commercial-scale battery recycling facility in South Carolina after receiving a $150 million grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ABTC said the facility would process 100,000 tons of battery material per year for reuse. The facility created 300 permanent jobs and supported 1,200 construction jobs. ABTC planned to locate the facility in a disadvantaged community and partner with the local community to ensure locals benefited from the investment. | 1,500 | – | Announced |
| Redwood Materials SC Gigafactory | In December 2022, Redwood Materials announced it would build a Battery Materials Campus outside of Charleston, SC. The $3.5 billion factory would employ 1,500 people over the next ten years. Redwood Materials will recycle and refine enough battery materials to power over one million EVs per year at the factory. | 1,500 | $3.5 billion | Under Construction |
| Volvo Ridgeville Facility Expansion | In February 2023, Volvo announced it would hire an additional 1,300 employees at its Ridgeville, South Carolina manufacturing facility to produce the company’s electric SUV. Production started in June 2024. | 1,300 | – | Operational |
| Columbia Vehicle Group Aiken Manufacturing Facility | In May 2024, EV manufacturer Columbia Vehicle Group announced plans to invest $12.2 million in an Aiken County manufacturing facility, creating 180 jobs. The company planned to purchase and upgrade an existing facility in Aiken over 18 months. | 180 | $12.2 million | Announced |
| Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply Expansion | In March 2023, Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply announced a $52 million investment to expand its operations in Lexington County, South Carolina. The expansion would create 61 new jobs to supply electrical supplies and materials to electric utilities. | 61 | $52 million | Announced |
| Enphase South Carolina Microinverter Manufacturing Facility | In July 2023, Enphase announced a $60 million investment in a new manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina, creating 600 new jobs in the state and 1,200 jobs nationwide. Enphase said the facility was “made possible” by the Inflation Reduction Act’s financial incentives for clean energy manufacturing. | 600 | $60 million | Operational |
| May Renewables Cope Solar and Storage Facility | In December 2022, May Renewables LLC announced plans to invest $70 million in a solar storage facility in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. The county approved the Cope Solar and Storage project for incentives in January 2023. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, and the project will create an unknown number of construction and maintenance jobs. | – | $70 million | Announced |
| ABB EV Chargers Manufacturing Plant | In September 2022, ABB E-Mobility announced it would establish a manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina. ABB E-Mobility invested $4 million in the facility, which is expected to create over 100 jobs. In a press release, ABB said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act made transformational investments for electric transportation, which could benefit from ABB’s EV charging infrastructure manufacturing capabilities. The factory opened in January 2023. | 100 | $4 million | Operational |
| Scout Motors EV Plant | In March 2023, Volkswagen AG announced plans to invest $2 billion and create 4,000 jobs in a new South Carolina factory assembly plant as part of its plans to revive the International Scout brand as a new U.S.-based brand of electric off-road vehicles. Scout’s CEO said the Inflation Reduction Act provided an extra incentive to build a factory in the U.S. Scout said it will help provide childcare and housing for its workers. In February 2024, Scout broke ground on the factory. | 4,000 | $2 billion | Under Construction |
| Scout Motors EV Manufacturing Suppliers Park | In September 2025, Scout Motors announced a $300 million investment to build a manufacturer-supplier park near its planned manufacturing facility in Blythewood, South Carolina. The new manufacturing park was expected to support an additional 1,000 jobs created by suppliers. | 1,000 | $368 million | Announced |
| Mojave High Efficiency HVAC Manufacturing Facility | In October 2023, Mojave Energy Systems announced it would invest $4 million to open a manufacturing facility for high-efficiency HVAC products in Anderson, South Carolina. Mojave also received a $2.6 million grant from the Department of Energy to support the facility’s establishment. The facility will create 200 clean energy manufacturing jobs. | 200 | $1.5 million | Announced |
| Bolt Solar Greenville County Farm | In February 2025, Bolt Solar shared plans to build a solar farm in Greenville County, South Carolina. The solar development company planned to invest $50 million in the solar farm, which was expected to come into service by 2028. | – | $50 million | Announced |
| Mateis Solar Corp. Panel Manufacturing Facility | In May 2023, Mateis Solar’s proposed $11.25 million solar panel manufacturing facility in Greenville County, South Carolina, was approved. Up to 154 jobs are expected to be created at the Greenville-Anderson industrial park site. | 154 | $11.25 million | Passed Regulatory Hurdle |
| ZF Group Manufacturing Facility Expansion | In November 2023, ZF Group announced it would invest $400 million to expand its propulsion systems manufacturing facility in Laurens County, South Carolina, to support the transition to electrification. The investment will create 400 new jobs. | 400 | $400 million | Announced |
| BorgWarner South Carolina Expansion | In April 2023, BorgWarner announced a $42 million investment in its Seneca, South Carolina battery module production facility. The expansion will create 122 jobs and result in 3 GWh of annual battery module manufacturing capacity. | 122 | $42 million | Announced |
| Clarios Battery Manufacturing Expansion | In May 2024, Clarios announced a $16 million expansion of its West Union, South Carolina, advanced battery manufacturing facility. The expansion will create 12 new jobs. In September 2024, Clarios received a $150 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to support the expansion. Clarios expected the grant to support the creation of over 375 permanent jobs and 1,200 construction jobs. | 1,567 | $16 million | Announced |
| Itron Oconee County Expansion | In June 2023, Itron announced a $28.5 million investment to expand its Oconee County, South Carolina operations. The expansion was expected to add 100 new jobs to manufacture Itron’s meter endpoints, which collect and transmit meter data to help utilities and cities better manage energy and water use. | 100 | $28.5 million | Announced |
| ElringKlinger Battery Center | In June 2024, ElringKlinger announced plans to open a battery center in Easley, South Carolina. The center would be ElringKlinger’s hub for U.S. battery manufacturing, research, and development upon opening in mid-2025, with the facility manufacturing cell contacting systems for electric mobility systems. ElringKlinger planned to invest $40.3 million in the center, which was projected to create 115 jobs. | 115 | $40.3 million | Announced |
| EnerSys Lithium-Ion Cell Factory | In February 2024, EnerSys announced a $500 million investment to open a lithium-ion cell gigafactory in Greenville, South Carolina. The 4 GW factory will create 500 new jobs in the state. EnerSys expects to benefit from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, as the factory will bolster the domestic battery cell supply chain. In September 2024, EnerSys was selected to enter award negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy for a $199 million grant to support the facility, which was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EnerSys completed the grant award negotiations on January 17, 2025. | 500 | $301 million | Announced |
| EPC Power Solar Hardware Manufacturing Facility | In November 2022, EPC Power announced a $5 million investment to establish a power converter manufacturing facility in Maudlin, South Carolina. The facility will produce power converters for energy storage and was expected to create 150 new jobs. | 150 | $5 million | Announced |
| Fenecon North American Headquarters and Manufacturing | In July 2024, Fenecon announced it would open both a manufacturing facility and its North American headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. Fenecon, a battery manufacturing company, planned to invest $3 million in the project, creating 68 new jobs. | 68 | $3 million | Announced |
| Isuzu Trucks Manufacturing Facility | In February 2025, Isuzu North America announced it would open a new manufacturing facility in Greenville County, South Carolina. The facility would manufacture electric and gas-powered models of Isuzu’s trucks. Isuzu planned to invest $280 million in the facility, which it expected would create more than 700 jobs. The facility was expected to start production in 2027. | 700 | $280 million | Announced |
| MP Husky South Carolina Expansion | In July 2024, MP Husky announced it would expand its manufacturing operation in Mauldin, South Carolina. MP Husky produces cable trays and cable power distribution systems for renewable energy systems. The company planned to invest $11.1 million in the expansion, creating 35 new jobs. | 35 | $11.1 million | Announced |
| BMW Spartanburg Plant | In October 2022, BMW announced it would invest $1 billion to expand its Spartanburg, South Carolina campus. The expansion will retool the facility to produce six EV models by 2030. | – | $1 billion | Announced |
| BMW Woodruff Battery Facility | In October 2022, BMW announced it would invest $700 million to create a new battery assembly factory in Woodruff, South Carolina. The facility will create 300 jobs to supply batteries for BMW’s nearby Plant Spartanburg. Construction on the facility started in July 2023. | 300 | $700 million | Under Construction |
| Stäubli South Carolina Expansion | In April 2024, Stäubli announced plans to expand manufacturing capacity at its Duncan, South Carolina plant. Stäubli produced connectors for solar panel inputs. The company said the increased capacity would help meet increasing demand driven by the Inflation Reduction Act. | – | – | Announced |
| Wrestore Technology Cathode Material Facility | In September 2024, Wrestore Technology announced that it would open a cathode materials factory in Gaffney, South Carolina. The factory would produce lithium-ion phosphate for lithium-ion batteries with an annual output of 50,000 tons per year once the factory reaches full capacity. Wrestore Technology invested $168 million in the factory, which was scheduled to open in 2028. | – | $168 million | Announced |
| Princeton NuEnergy Recycling Facility | In June 2024, Princeton NuEnergy broke ground on a battery recycling facility in Chester, South Carolina. Princeton NuEnergy innovated a new method of lithium-ion battery recycling that lowers both cost and environmental impact. The company invested $11 million in the facility, which will create 41 new jobs and recycle enough lithium-ion battery materials to supply 100,000 EV batteries per year at full capacity. | 41 | $11 million | Under Construction |
| EnerSys Sumter Expansion | In March 2025, EnerSys announced that it would expand its Sumter, South Carolina, operations. The expansion would allow EnerSys to meet the growing demand for lithium, flooded, and thin plate pure lead battery products. EnerSys planned to invest $6.7 million in the expansion, which was expected to create 15 new jobs. | 15 | $6.7 million | Announced |
| Eaton Transformers Manufacturing Facility | In February 2025, Eaton announced it would open a new manufacturing facility for three-phase transformers in Jonesville, South Carolina. The transformers would help bring clean energy to the grid to meet growing electricity demand. Eaton invested $340 million in the facility, which it expected would create 700 jobs when hiring started in 2027. | 700 | $340 million | Announced |
| OneH2 Manufacturing Facility | In December 2023, OneH2 announced it would invest $16 million to open a hydrogen fuel equipment manufacturing facility in York County, South Carolina. The facility will support 87 new jobs by 2026 and allow the company to scale hydrogen equipment production. | 87 | $16 million | Announced |
| Silfab Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant | In September 2023, Silfab Solar announced plans to establish a new facility in York County, South Carolina. The $150 million factory is anticipated to be online in the third quarter of 2024 and will create 800 new jobs. In March 2024, Silfab Solar was approved to start construction on the site, where Silfab will manufacture solar modules and PV cells. Silfab Solar finalized financing for the facility in November 2024. | 800 | $150 million | Passed Regulatory Hurdle |
| Pomega Energy Storage Manufacturing Facility | In December 2022, Kontrolmatik announced a $300 million investment to build a gigafactory in South Carolina via its subsidiary, Pomega Energy Storage. The investment included a large battery storage system manufacturing facility projected to create 575 new jobs and a home battery storage manufacturing facility expected to create 100 new jobs. The company expects to qualify for $900 million in Inflation Reduction Act incentives for the factory. | 575 | $300 million | Under Construction |
| TICO Manufacturing Electric Conversion | In October 2024, TICO Manufacturing announced that it would convert its Ridgeland, South Carolina, remanufacturing and repair facility to service the company’s electric trucks. The expansion was expected to create 38 jobs, and TICO invested $1.6 million in the conversion. | 38 | $1.6 million | Announced |
| TS Conductor Jasper County Manufacturing Facility | In March 2025, TS Conductor announced it would open its second U.S. manufacturing facility in Hardeeville, South Carolina. The facility was expected to produce advanced carbon-core conductors for high-voltage direct current transmission lines. TS Conductor planned to invest $134 million in the facility, which was expected to create 462 new jobs. The facility was scheduled to open at the end of 2025. | 462 | $134 million | Announced |
| Birla Carbon Manufacturing Facility | In September 2024, Birla Carbon announced that it would open a synthetic graphite production facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The $1 billion facility was supported by a $150 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded grant. Birla Carbon said the facility would create 124 new jobs, with internship opportunities and child-care subsidies. The company planned to seek a Project Labor Agreement for the construction of the facility. | 124 | $850 million | Announced |
| Hounen Solar Module Production Facility | In March 2023, Hounen announced plans to establish its first U.S. solar panel manufacturing facility in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. The $33 million investment was expected to create 200 new jobs. The facility was operational as of May 2024. | 200 | $33 million | Operational |
| Cirba Solutions EV Battery Recycling Facility | In March 2023, Cirba Solutions announced it would invest $300 million in an EV battery recycling facility in Richland County. The facility will recycle enough materials for over 500,000 EV batteries per year and create 300 operational jobs and 650 construction jobs. Cirba said the campus would also host professional development and educational programs. In September 2024, Cirba Solutions was selected to enter into award negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy for a $200 million grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the facility. | 300 | $100 million | Announced |
| e-VAC Magnetics Manufacturing Facility | In December 2023, eVAC announced it would invest $500 million to build a magnet manufacturing plant in Sumter, South Carolina, that will produce magnets for EV motors. The facility will create 300 jobs. e-VAC broke ground on the factory in March 2024. In April 2024, e-VAC announced it had received $111.4 million in tax credits under the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to support the construction of the facility. e-VAC secured an additional $335 million in funding for the facility in September 2024. A partner at Ara Partners, e-VAC’s parent company, praised the Inflation Reduction Act for building the domestic critical minerals supply chain. | 300 | $388.6 million | Under Construction |
| Ferroglobe Silicon Metal Filtration Facility | In March 2024, Ferroglobe announced it would open a silicon metal production facility in Wallace, South Carolina. The facility will create 19 new jobs producing silicon metals for solar cells and batteries. Ferroglobe invested $20 million in the facility. | 19 | $20 million | Announced |
Additional projects threatened or canceled in the state due to threats to clean energy:
| Additional Threatened Or Canceled Clean Energy Projects | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Summary | Projected Jobs | Investment | Project Status |
| Bosch Delayed Investment To Expand Electric Motor Manufacturing | In November 2024, Bosch announced it had paused an expansion of its Charleston manufacturing facility. The expansion was expected to produce electric motors, but was paused because of slower growth in EV sales volumes. | 350 | $260 million | Delayed |
| Silfab Solar Cells SC Inc.’s Grant For Solar Cell Development Was Canceled | In October 2025, the Trump administration canceled Silfab Solar Cells’ federal grant for solar cell development. Silfab Solar Cells was awarded $5 million in May 2024 to develop more efficient back-contact N-type cells at its facility in York County. | – | $5 million | Grant Cancellation |
| Robert Bosch LLC’s Federal Grants For Fuel Cell Stacks Were Canceled | In October 2025, the Trump administration canceled Robert Bosch LLC’s federal grants for the industrialization of MEA and stack assembly and for bipolar plate processes for the North American market. Bosch was awarded one $30 million grant and one $10 million grant for its plant in Anderson. | – | $40 million | Grant Cancellation |
| Envision AESC Paused Construction Of Its South Carolina EV Battery Manufacturing Plant | In June 2025, Envision AESC announced it was pausing construction of its Pee Dee EV battery manufacturing facility and indefinitely delaying the factory’s planned opening. A company spokesperson said the construction was paused because of “policy and market uncertainty.” Envision AESC still “fully intends” to meet its commitment of investing $1.6 billion and creating 1,600 jobs, but did not provide details on a new timeline. South Carolina’s Republican Governor, Henry McMaster, attributed the pause to federal policy uncertainty. | 1,600 | $1.6 billion | Delayed |
| Envision AESC Walked Back Planned Expansion Of Battery Manufacturing Facility | In February 2025, AESC walked back a planned expansion of its Florence County battery cell gigafactory due to slower than expected growth in EV sales. | 1,080 | $1.5 billion | Canceled |
| Albemarle Indefinitely Suspended Its Lithium Processing Facility | In May 2025, Albemarle indefinitely suspended plans to open a lithium processing facility in South Carolina. The company’s CEO said the project was on hold because of low lithium prices globally, but said the project could resume if lithium prices rise. | 1,800 | $1.3 billion | Delayed |
| Solar4America Canceled Planned Sumter Manufacturing Facility | In April 2025, Solar4America canceled plans to open a solar cell manufacturing facility in Sumter. The company’s former vice president of sales said the demand boost from the Inflation Reduction Act was not enough to keep sales from “becoming bumpy.” | 300 | $65.9 million | Canceled |
| Proterra Laid Off 90 Workers At EV Battery Manufacturing Facility | In March 2025, Proterra, an EV battery manufacturer, announced it would lay off 90 workers at its Greer manufacturing facility. At the facility, Proterra manufactured vehicle batteries for Volvo. A spokesperson for the company said moderate growth in the commercial vehicle market was the reason for the cuts. | 90 | – | Layoffs |
Other projects in the state, started before the Inflation Reduction Act:
| Project or Company Name | Project Details | Project Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ulbrich Manufacturing Facility | Ulbrich’s Westminster facility manufactures components for solar panels. | Operating |
| Seneca Battery Plant Manufacturing Facility | The Seneca battery plant opened in 1996 and is one of Oconee County’s largest employers. | Announced |
| Drew Foam Companies, Inc. Manufacturing Facility | Drew Foam Companies’ Anderson facility manufactures Expanded Polystyrene. | Operating |
| Henkel US Operations Corporation Manufacturing Facility | Henkel’s Greenville facility manufactures water-based adhesives and employs 46 people. | Operating |
| Powered 1 Manufacturing Facility | Powered 1’s Greer facility manufactures EV batteries. | Operating |
| ILJIN Manufacturing Facility | ILJIN’s Greer facility manufactures wind turbine bearings. | Operating |
| Rmax Operating, LLC Manufacturing Facility | Rmax’s Greer facility manufactures insulation products. | Operating |
| Tindall Corporation Manufacturing Facility | Tindall’s Spartanburg facility manufactures components for the onshore wind industry. In 2020, the company announced it would expand its operations with $27.9 million in investment and create 20 new jobs. | Operating |
| Owens Corning Manufacturing Facility | Owens Corning’s Duncan facility manufactures fiberglass and other insulation products. | Operating |
| The Timken Company Manufacturing Facility | Timken’s Union facility manufactures components for wind turbines. | Operating |
| Trane Commercial Sales Office | Trane’s Commercial Sales office in Columbia handles HVAC and energy efficiency projects. | Operating |
| Nucor Buildings Manufacturing Facility | Nucor’s Swansea facility manufactures components for rooftop solar installations. | Operating |
| Halocarbon, LLC Manufacturing Facility | Halocarbon’s Beech Island facility manufactures additives for battery and energy storage systems. | Operating |
| Hubbell Manufacturing Facility | Hubbell’s Aiken facility manufactures components used in solar photovoltaic systems and employs 380 people. | Operating |
| Allied Air Enterprises Manufacturing Facility | Allied Air Enterprises’ Orangeburg facilities broke ground on its $35.7 million manufacturing facility in 2021. The company’s existing facilities employed over 700 people. The company manufactures HVAC equipment. | Operating |
| Nexans Manufacturing Facility | Nexans’ Goose Creek facility manufactures high-voltage power cables for use in the offshore wind industry and was expected to create 200 jobs. | Operating |
RELEVANT STATE NEWS
- Almost a third of SC counties considered temporary data center ban. Here’s where [The State, 9/5/26]
- Spartanburg data center not subject to public power plant rules, SC regulators rule [South Carolina Daily Gazette, 8/27/26]
- South Carolina emerges as one of top states for data centers, local skepticism persists [ABC News 4, 7/11/26]
- South Carolina ranks among nation’s highest cooling costs [Spectrum Local News, 7/3/26]
- NC House-Appointed Commissioner Attempts to Halt Solar in North and South Carolina [Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 5/26/26]
- These SC cities have the worst air pollution in the state, new report shows [The State, 4/25/26]
- Dominion Energy rate increase could raise SC power bills as families struggle to keep up [ABC News 4, 3/25/26]
- New rate set to shield some South Carolina customers from data center energy costs [News Channel 6, 3/19/26]
STATE CLIMATE DISASTERS
- Between 2010 and 2024, South Carolina saw sixty billion-dollar extreme weather disasters. Since 2017, South Carolina has received $1,198,953,120 in FEMA funding for disaster assistance.
- South Carolina was impacted by two hurricanes in 2024. In August 2024, Tropical Storm Debby made landfall northeast of Charleston, knocking out power for over 5,400 South Carolinians and damaging over 460 buildings. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused power outages for over 1.3 million residents and damaged over 3,700 homes, with recovery costs estimated to exceed $370 million.
- In March and April 2025, wildfires burned over 18,000 acres in South Carolina. Much of the state has been abnormally dry or in moderate drought since at least November 2024, creating ample fuel for wildfires.
- September 2025 to August 2026 was the driest year on record in 131 years, causing farmers to struggle to keep crops alive during the drought.
- 2026’s El Niño was expected to heavily impact South Carolina, which experts project could worsen the state’s drought and cause flooding and severe storms.
- Following a severe winter storm that occurred in January 2026, South Carolinians waited 42 days from the date of Gov. Henry McMaster’s February 24 request until Trump’s April 7 approval.