DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Leon County residents will get their first chance Tuesday to weigh in on a proposed 18-month moratorium on new data center applications, as counties across Florida grapple with how to manage the facilities and technology.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The pause would stop new applications for data centers and other facilities that use large amounts of electricity while Leon County develops its own regulations.
Commissioners began that process in July, examining how these facilities could affect water and power supplies, the noise they generate, and where they should be permitted.
Commissioner Nick Maddox addressed the issue at the July 14 commission meeting.
"There is a time and a place for data centers. I believe that we need to take our time over the next 12 months to figure out if we're going to have them here anywhere," Maddox said.
Not everyone supports hitting pause on development.
Neighbor David West believes the county can craft regulations without stopping new applications.
"I think it's a knee jerk reaction. I think what the county needs to do is get started on reasonable laws that govern the use of water and how electricity is paid for by data centers. The fact is we need data centers in America," West said.
Other Florida counties have already faced the same decision. DeSoto County approved a 35,000-square-foot data center in March. Two much larger proposals followed, each measuring millions of square feet. Four months later, commissioners put a one-year pause on new applications.
The debate is also playing out in counties close to Leon. Madison and Jefferson counties have moved to pause data center development. Wakulla County has considered going further with a ban. Taylor County has taken a different approach, working on regulations without a moratorium.
Economic considerations are also part of the conversation. In Miami-Dade, data center development is moving forward. One proposed project calls for $150 million in investment, 27 new full-time jobs, and nearly $6 million in projected property tax revenue over 10 years.
West said the economic impact depends on the terms local governments negotiate.
"The local economy will only suffer if ridiculous deals are made with the data center companies, so they don't have to pay the going rate for electricity and they get free water," West said.
Tuesday's public hearing begins at 6 p.m. and is the first of two scheduled opportunities for residents to comment. The second hearing is set for October 13, before commissioners make a final decision on the moratorium.
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