DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL — Leon County commissioners want to pump the brakes on any potential data center projects.
During their Tuesday meeting, the board proposed a 1-year moratorium on the projects. Multiple commissioners argued it would give the county time to discuss the long-term implications of such projects and make preparations if they chose to move forward.
Commission Chair Christian Caban released a written letter before the meeting, saying in part:
"As artificial intelligence technologies continue advancing at an unprecedented pace, local governments are increasingly being asked to make long-term land use and utility decisions tied to an industry that is evolving faster than public policy can reasonably keep up with."
Caban added during the meeting, "We need to make sure that we have the proper infrastructure in pace before these conversations even begin happening.”
Data center projects have been met with significant pushback in our area and across the country. In Florida, Jackson and Citrus counties have already imposed data center moratoriums.
“This issue is extremely unpopular with taxpayers and voters, and I believe that we owe it to them to make sure that we are gathering all necessary information," Caban said Tuesday.
Commissioners agreed to bring up the moratorium as an agenda item during their next meeting. They asked the county attorney to look into what the county would need to do to legally impose the moratorium.
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