Pasco County considers AI data center pause
Pasco County Commissioners are considering a 12-month moratorium on AI data center development after a first reading. Residents voiced significant concerns about the high water and power consumption of these centers. The proposal will be brought back for a final vote in July.
Pasco County Commissioners held a first reading to consider implementing a 12-month moratorium on AI data center projects, a measure similar to one passed in Citrus County. Residents filled the commission chambers, expressing strong opposition and pleading with leaders to pause development due to significant concerns.
The primary worries cited by residents include the substantial amounts of water and power required by data centers, coupled with the perception that these facilities offer relatively few permanent jobs to the local economy. One developer, who expressed interest in building a data center off Highway 75, stated his plan has low impact on water sources and the power grid. Despite his project, he supports the proposed 12-month moratorium recommended by the Planning Board, which would prevent the county from acting on current or future large data centers for a year.
However, the moratorium proposal includes potential loopholes for centers that keep resource use under a certain threshold, which some residents oppose. The commission is expected to hold a final vote on the moratorium in July.