Orange County Commission candidate pledges to block new data centers
Lawanna Gelzer, a candidate for Orange County Commission District 6, has pledged to block all new data centers in Orange County through strict zoning laws if elected. She cites significant environmental concerns, including excessive water usage for cooling and strain on the electrical grid, as primary reasons for her opposition to data center development in the region.
Lawanna Gelzer, a candidate vying for Orange County Commission District 6, has announced a platform focused on community-driven governance, infrastructure improvement, and stringent environmental protection. A cornerstone of her environmental stance is a firm commitment to "absolutely block the creation of any new data centers in Orange County through strict zoning laws" if elected.
Gelzer explicitly labeled data centers as an "environmental nightmare," highlighting their substantial daily water consumption for server cooling and the "unprecedented strain on our electrical grid." She argued against asking working families to conserve water and pay higher utility bills while allowing "tech giants" to deplete and contaminate local aquifers. Emphasizing Florida's vulnerability as "ground zero for climate change," she vowed to utilize all available zoning tools to prevent data center development, framing it as a direct threat to public resources.
Beyond her opposition to data centers, Gelzer's platform includes plans to launch an Inter-District Neighborhood Advisory Council, conduct a comprehensive audit of public infrastructure with community input, and create a District 6 Transparency Dashboard. She also advocates for a shift to transit-oriented development, improvements to public transportation with electric buses and cooling stations, and reforms to the Tourism Development Tax to benefit local infrastructure and residents rather than solely large attractions. Her vision for urban development emphasizes human-scale, walkable planning, increased density, and environmentally sustainable growth that accounts for canopy cover, green spaces, the aquifer, and extreme heat.
Gelzer further outlined plans to convert the county to sewer systems to reduce nitrogen contamination, aggressively remediate ground contamination across the district, and protect wetlands through a "Right to Clean Water" charter amendment. She asserts that Orange County must become a leader in sustainability, moving beyond decades of environmental neglect.