Sarasota County Enacts One-Year Moratorium on Data Center Applications
The Sarasota County Commission unanimously voted to enact a one-year moratorium on accepting, reviewing, or approving data center applications. This decision was driven by environmental and energy concerns, including high electricity and water consumption, and aims to give staff time to assess the adequacy of current zoning rules for modern data centers. Commissioners expressed strong opposition to data centers in their community.
The Sarasota County Commission in Venice, Florida, has unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on accepting, reviewing, or approving data center applications. The decision, made at a recent board meeting, stems from growing environmental and energy concerns associated with large data centers, including their significant electricity and water consumption.
Michelle Norton, assistant director of county Planning and Services, stated that only one inquiry for a data center has been received, with no formal applications submitted. The moratorium aims to provide county staff with time to evaluate whether existing zoning rules, which currently allow "data processing centers" in certain districts, are sufficient to address the scale and resource demands of modern data centers, particularly those supporting AI.
Commissioners expressed strong opposition to the presence of data centers in Sarasota County. Commissioner Joe Neunder declared, "At the end of the day, for me, it's no, not now, never," citing concerns about electricity and water usage, which can reach up to 5 million gallons per day for AI facilities. Commissioners Teresa Mast and Mark Smith echoed these sentiments, advocating for stricter local policies to prevent data center development due to potential environmental impacts and noise. This action follows similar moratoriums implemented by at least six other local governments, including the DeSoto County Commission.