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On June 7, 2012, Gov. Nikki Haley signed HB 3720, the legislation that will encourage data centers to come to South Carolina - and especially to Velocity Park. The new law provides sales tax exemptions for servers, electricity, and other items once key criteria are met. A summary of HB 3720 can be seen here. South Carolina's incentives have lower thresholds than those of North Carolina, so it is anticipated that the "Carolinas Data Center Corridor" will now develop south along I-85 in South Carolina. Velocity Park meets all of the key site selection criteria for major, critical data centers:
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Location
- Earthquake Zone 3 or less
- Out of any floodplains, away from inundation zones of dams
- Outside areas impacted by hurricanes or tornadoes
- Not within 200 yards of major highways, not within 0.5 miles of rail lines
- No hazardous production facilities nearby
- No airport flight paths above
Electrical
- Availability of capacity required
- Availability of multiple power feeds from multiple substations
Communications
- Availability of fiber from multiple carriers
- Overlapping, redundant fiber rings
- Microwave line of site if needed
- Satellite capability on roof
Water
- Preferable – Two sources available
Gas
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Site Criteria
- Useable size and shape with a maximum 60 x 40 ratio of depth to width
- Securable site with berms and fencing on perimeter
- Drainage away from the building and off site
Site Acquisition
- Reasonable land costs, permitting costs, approval timeframes, and labor costs
Site Improvements
- Location of utilities required
- Acceptable soil conditions
- No hazardous materials or contamination
Cost Issues
- Reasonable utility operation costs
- Identified costs to bring telecommunication carriers onto the site
- Identified ongoing site maintenance costs
Governmental
- Proper zoning for usage
- Acceptable permit and review requirements and timeframes
- Environmental impact requirements are already addressed
- No prohibition on standby generator usage
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