SCETA launches statewide digital policy framework for South Carolina

The South Carolina Emerging Tech Association has launched ASCENDSC, a framework meant to guide South Carolina’s response to AI, digital infrastructure, energy, privacy, and identity policy. The initiative will shape SCETA’s legislative work and lead into a forum in Charleston on Sept. 17, 2026.

Why it matters: - ASCENDSC is designed to give South Carolina a common policy framework for AI, compute, energy, identity, privacy, payments, rural development, and public trust. - The initiative targets decisions that could affect utilities, ratepayers, property owners, businesses, educators, investors, local governments, and citizens. - SCETA is positioning the framework as a way to connect technology policy with constitutional protections and community accountability.

What happened: - The South Carolina Emerging Tech Association announced the formal launch of ASCENDSC on July 27, 2026. - SCETA described ASCENDSC as a statewide framework for navigating an AI-enhanced and increasingly digital economy. - The framework brings together SCETA’s work on artificial intelligence, compute infrastructure, energy, digital identity, payments, privacy, digital assets, rural development, and constitutional protections. - SCETA also said ASCENDSC is not intended to promote one company, project, or technology. - Dennis Fassuliotis, SCETA’s president, said South Carolina is now facing interconnected issues that should be addressed together.

The details: - SCETA said ASCENDSC is built around transparency, accountability, innovation, and public trust. - The framework grew out of SCETA’s Public Listening Initiative, which asked South Carolinians about digital infrastructure, surveillance, energy, property rights, privacy, digital identity, and economic growth. - From June 1 to date, the campaign generated more than 47,300 Facebook views, 389 content interactions, and conversations in more than 30 South Carolina community groups. - SCETA said public feedback consistently called for clearer standards, greater transparency, protection for ratepayers and property owners, responsible use of natural resources, and a meaningful voice in decisions affecting communities. - ASCENDSC serves as an umbrella for several SCETA efforts: SCALE on siting, energy, cost responsibility, environmental stewardship, security, and community accountability for major infrastructure projects. - ASCENDSC also includes PIEC, which links payments, identity, energy, and compute; FARM, which ties emerging technology investment to family land preservation, agricultural productivity, rural prosperity, and market-based innovation; the South Carolina Citizens’ Digital Bill of Rights, which proposes guardrails for privacy, identity, personal data, surveillance, transparency, and digital property rights; and Freedom Tech, which advances innovation within constitutional protections and accountable governance. - Detailed framework materials are available through the ASCENDSC resource center. - SCETA said ASCENDSC is already shaping comments it plans to submit to the South Carolina Public Service Commission on cost causation, ratepayer protection, grid reliability, load flexibility, behind-the-meter generation, and infrastructure accountability.

Between the lines: - SCETA is framing the launch as a response to public concern about how fast-moving digital systems intersect with everyday life, especially around trust, surveillance, and utility costs. - The emphasis on identity, privacy, and digital property rights suggests the group wants to influence rules before those systems become more entrenched. - The framework also gives SCETA a policy umbrella that can connect legislative, regulatory, and public outreach efforts under one brand.

What's next: - SCETA will center ASCENDSC at the ASCENDSC Forum on Sept. 17, 2026, in Charleston. - Leaders from government, industry, academia, and the public are expected to discuss how South Carolina can become a national model for trusted digital infrastructure and responsible technology policy. - SCETA said the work will continue after the forum as it pushes the framework into policy and regulatory channels.

The bottom line: - ASCENDSC is SCETA’s bid to turn a broad set of tech, energy, and privacy debates into one coordinated policy agenda for South Carolina.