Michael Coleman, UF State Policy Director and Co-Chair of the SC Conservation Coalition, delivering closing remarks at the 2026 Senate Briefing "Conversation with Conservationists."

Greetings!

It’s hard to believe January is already behind us. I hope everyone has been staying safe and warm as winter weather has moved across our region. There has already been a lot of activity at the State House in the first weeks of the legislative session. I'll recap a few key developments from January and flag bills we’ll be watching closely as the session unfolds.

Another "Conversation with Conservationists" in the books

On January 21, the SC Conservation Coalition unveiled our 2026 legislative priorities at our annual Senate briefing, “Conversation with Conservationists,” hosted by Senators Chip Campsen and Tameika Isaac Devine. 

Like past briefings, this year brought together advocates and partners from across the state to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing our state’s natural resources.

Speakers included Emily Poole (SC Environmental Law Project), Maria Whitehead (Open Space Institute), Tim Evans (Audubon SC), Bill Stangler (Congaree Riverkeeper), Matt Gamble (Nature Adventures, LLC), Erin Siebert (Conservation Voters of SC), and Brian Cordell (The Sustainability Institute).

We appreciated the strong engagement from Senators and look forward to continuing to work with them throughout this legislative session.

Watch this year’s briefing by visiting the video archives page and scrolling down to Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 10:00 a.m. “Conversation with Conservationists.”

What's happening at the State House:

S.724: Commercial Data Center Water Reporting

• This bill was introduced by Senator Allen Blackmon (District 27-Lancaster) and would require data centers that consume three million gallons or more of water per month to report their total consumption annually to the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), including surface, groundwater, or any other sources.

Governor Henry McMaster announced 2026-2027 Executive Budget

• Governor McMaster announced his proposed Executive Budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which includes a $68 million appropriation to the SC Conservation Bank (SCCB), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Office of Resilience, and the Forestry Commission for the purposes of identifying and preserving culturally and environmentally significant properties. It includes an additional $3 million allocation to the SCCB for the preservation of working agricultural farms and forested land.

S.784: Energy Consumer Protections

• This bill was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (District 25-Edgefield) and would require a public comment period for energy infrastructure permit applications and require written notice to affected landowners when a utility plans or has agreements for projects that may involve eminent domain. The bill also establishes customer safeguards for data centers, requires annual reporting of surface and groundwater usage to SCDES, authorizes demand-side pilot programs through the Public Service Commission, and makes several changes to sales tax exemptions related to data centers and technology-intensive facilities.

S.256: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE)

• This bill failed on the Senate floor following bipartisan concerns expressed during debate on the bill. It would have allowed local governments to establish a voluntary financing program to help commercial property owners invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience upgrades through property tax assessments. Upstate Forever will continue to educate legislators on the benefits of C-PACE, with hopes that it may be reintroduced in the next legislative session.

S.288: Transferable Development Rights (TDR)

• A bill we discussed last year was debated on the Senate floor. It would authorize and encourage local governments to voluntarily adopt TDR programs. Several Senators expressed their support of the concept, while also raising questions about public input, how the program would align with local land development ordinances, and addressing infrastructure needs in areas receiving additional density. There is also a companion bill active in the House of Representatives (H. 4146). Need a TDR refresher? Read more here.

H. 3021: The SC Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act

• This bill received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee. It would establish automatic expiration and periodic review of state regulations, require agencies to reduce the total number of state regulations by 25%, and impose new constraints on agency rulemaking authority. We are monitoring this bill closely to ensure it does not significantly weaken critical protections for the environment and public health. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee will meet again February 5 at 10:00 AM to continue receiving public comments on the bill.

Note: The bill tracker will be updated regularly throughout the session as new legislation is filed and existing bills advance.

January rewind

UF staff attend the Senate briefing to support conservation priorities

A bird's eye view on day 1 of the legislative session as the Senate clerk calls the roll

Conservation Coalition Co-Chairs Michael Coleman & Emily Poole

Other news:

• Max Metcalf appointed Chairman of SCDOT Board of Commissioners. Read more here.

• Governor Henry McMaster delivered his final “State of the State” Address, marking the close of a historic tenure as South Carolina’s longest-serving Governor. Watch it here.

Upcoming events:

• The Energy Affordability Lobby Day scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, was canceled after the House and Senate announced they would not be in session due to impacts from the recent winter storm. We are working with our partners to reschedule the event and will share updates as soon as a new date is confirmed.

We’ll keep you informed about key developments and opportunities to engage on the bills we’re tracking this session. You can find your legislator or contact them directly about issues that matter to you here. Until next time, please feel free to forward our monthly updates to family, friends, and colleagues who may want to sign up and receive them, too!