Palm Beach County advances plan to temporarily ban data centers
Palm Beach County commissioners have advanced a plan to implement a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center developments. The proposed ban would give county staff time to define requirements such as landscape buffers, sound studies, and utility coordination for future data centers. A final vote on the ordinance is scheduled for September 24.
Palm Beach County commissioners are moving forward with a proposal for a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center developments. On Thursday, the commissioners unanimously approved the language for the proposed ordinance, with a final vote scheduled for September 24.
If enacted, the moratorium would temporarily prohibit the county from accepting, processing, or approving any new large-scale data center applications. This pause is intended to allow county staff to develop clear definitions and requirements for such facilities, which could include enhanced landscape buffers, sound studies, and utility coordination.
The proposed ordinance defines a large-scale data center as a facility primarily for processing, storing, and transmitting digital information, with an anticipated monthly peak load not exceeding 50 megawatts, in line with state guidelines. This action places Palm Beach County among other Florida localities and state leaders increasingly focused on regulating data center growth.