Palm Coast, Flagler County Consider One-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers
The Palm Coast City Council and Flagler County Commission are both considering a one-year moratorium on new data centers. This action aims to allow local governments to update land-use regulations due to concerns over electricity and water consumption, environmental impacts, and increasing public opposition. The goal is to establish clearer rules for future data center developments.
Both the Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council are moving to consider a one-year moratorium on new data centers to allow for a comprehensive review and revision of land-use regulations. Inspired by proposals from County Commissioner Andy Dance and City Council member Ty Miller, this initiative seeks to address growing concerns about the environmental and infrastructural impacts of data center development.
The primary drivers include increasing public opposition, fears of rising utility bills due to intensive electricity and water consumption, and the perceived lack of adequate local land-use protections against high-impact facilities. While Council member Charles Gambaro expressed reservations about the term "moratorium" and its potential effect on economic development, he supported the proactive measure to codify land development rules.
The proposed moratorium would provide essential time for officials to evaluate existing policies calmly and thoughtfully. The goal is to define thresholds for "high impact" hyperscale data centers versus smaller "low impact" facilities, placing the former in a special exception category for zoning approval. This approach would ensure that future data centers are thoroughly vetted against zoning, infrastructure, and environmental criteria.