Palmetto Bay village eyes data center ban
Palmetto Bay, Florida, is considering a full ban on data centers, with the Village Council scheduled to vote on the legislation on September 28th. This action, led by Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer, aims to prevent data center development in the municipality. Meanwhile, Palm Beach County has enacted a freeze on large-scale data center applications.
Palmetto Bay, Florida, is poised to become the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to enact a complete ban on data centers. Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer introduced legislation for an outright ban, bypassing a temporary moratorium or pause.
Merwitzer stated that Palmetto Bay's limited land resources should be utilized for creating "real jobs" rather than accommodating "server farms." The Palmetto Bay Village Council is scheduled to vote on this proposed ban on September 28th.
In related developments, Palm Beach County has already implemented a freeze on new large-scale data center applications, indicating a broader regional pushback in South Florida against the rapid expansion of AI data centers.