Orangeburg vs Spartanburg AI Facilities
| Feature | Orangeburg | Spartanburg |
| Energy Supply | 100 MW solar farm, grid-integrated via Central/Aiken | Self-generated on-site; grid-independent |
| Operator | Meta (renewable credits from Silicon Ranch) | NorthMark Strategies (Project Moc-1), Edged Energy |
| AI Hardware | Meta Open Compute Platform: AMD Helios, NVIDIA ASICs, OCP fabrics | Advanced HPC/GPU clusters, cooling innovations |
| Scale & Jobs | Data center serving Meta workloads; long-term staff (~27+?) | 400–600 construction jobs; ~27 full-time staff |
Orangeburg’s Solar-Powered AI Facility
Orangeburg is home to a groundbreaking AI facility powered entirely by clean energy. Meta partnered with Silicon Ranch to build a 100-megawatt solar farm, ensuring sustainable operations while boosting the local economy. This project sets a benchmark for renewable-powered technology hubs.
✅ 100 MW Solar Farm: Provides clean energy for Meta’s AI data center.
✅ Meta Partnership: Aligns with global sustainability and innovation goals.
✅ Community Benefits: $8 million annual tax revenue supports local growth.
How Spartanburg Will Power Its AI Future
Spartanburg’s Project Moc-1 is designed for energy independence. Instead of relying on the grid, the facility will generate its own electricity on-site. This approach ensures resilience, reduces strain on local utilities, and supports sustainable high-performance computing for AI workloads.
✅ On-Site Generation: Spartanburg will operate its own power plant to meet energy needs.
✅ Partnership with Greenidge Generation: Secured supply includes 60% zero-carbon sources like nuclear.
✅ Grid Independence: Self-sufficiency minimizes impact on local infrastructure and boosts reliability.
| Event | Details |
| Project Announcement | April 22, 2025: NorthMark Strategies (Valara Holdings) announced its decision to transform the former Kohler plant in Spartanburg into a self-powered HPC center. |
| Project Status | March–April 2025: Project MOC-1 received county approval for tax incentives and entered environmental remediation and early development. |
| Expected Operational Date | Q3 2026: Early operations of the initial 350,000 sq ft warehouse phase are projected to begin in the third quarter of 2026. |
Every small action counts.
Limit unnecessary AI queries—run only what you need to reduce computing power.
Turn off background AI features in apps when they’re not essential (e.g., predictive text or smart suggestions).
Share these tips with others—educating users about greener AI choices creates a ripple effect toward sustainability.