Volusia County to Consider Ban on Large-Scale Data Centers
Volusia County is preparing to consider a ban on large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas, with a first-reading vote scheduled for Oct. 6. The proposed restrictions reflect concerns about data centers’ electricity and water consumption, noise, land use and the lack of a specific project currently planned for the county.
Volusia County is scheduled to vote on the first reading of a proposed ban on large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas. The measure would cover facilities with a monthly peak electrical load of at least 50 megawatts, roughly the power demand of 50,000 homes. No major data center is currently planned in the county, but public opposition has fueled calls for preventive action.
The debate comes as nearby communities pursue their own restrictions: Ormond Beach has enacted a moratorium, Edgewater is placing a ban on the November ballot, and Flagler County and Palm Coast are considering or enforcing similar measures. Supporters cite concerns about electricity, water, noise, rural land conversion and opaque development practices, while proponents of data centers point to tax revenue and economic growth. Recent Florida legislation allows local governments to regulate larger data centers more closely, although the interaction with existing limits on local moratoriums remains uncertain.