Sarasota County bans data center applications for one year

Sarasota County commissioners unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on data center applications, preventing the acceptance or review of any new proposals for 12 months. The 5-0 vote by the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday allows county staff to evaluate how data centers, which are massive facilities designed to meet increasing energy demands from AI, align with the jurisdiction's zoning code and comprehensive plan.

Commissioner Teresa Mast emphasized that pausing applications sends a clear message. This decision follows similar actions by other Florida counties like Citrus, Nassau, and Hernando, which have also implemented moratoriums on data center development. Although Sarasota County has not yet received a formal application, a company had previously expressed interest in a property along Cattleman Road for a data center project.

Sarasota County Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Michele Norton informed the board about the significant resource demands of hyperscale data centers, noting their extreme continuous electrical load, with a 50-megawatt center consuming as much power as 35,000 to 50,000 homes. She also highlighted the substantial water usage for cooling, ranging from 52,000 gallons per day for smaller facilities to up to 5 million gallons daily for larger AI campuses, raising concerns given the county's water supply.

Commissioners Mark Smith and Joe Neunder voiced strong opposition, citing concerns about noise, visual impact, strain on the power grid, water consumption, and potential negative effects on the delicate local ecosystem. Commissioner Neunder, who is running for reelection, stated his personal stance was "no, not now, never" for data centers in Sarasota County.