Lakeland Approves One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers
Lakeland commissioners have voted 4-3 to enact a one-year moratorium on new data centers and other businesses using over 50 megawatts of electricity. This pause allows city staff to develop permanent rules for large utility customers, following public concern over the environmental impacts and infrastructure costs of such developments. The moratorium was enacted immediately and applies to projects both inside and outside the city seeking Lakeland utility services.
Lakeland, Florida, commissioners voted 4-3 to implement an immediate one-year moratorium on new data centers and other businesses projected to use at least 50 megawatts of electricity. This decision, made on August 3, 2026, was largely in response to public outcry over "Project Swan," a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center. The pause aims to provide city staff with time to develop comprehensive permanent rules and regulations for exceptionally large utility customers.
Mayor Sara Roberts McCarley and Commissioners Terry Coney, Chad McLeod, and Guy LaLonde Jr. supported the moratorium, citing too many unknowns regarding the impact on electricity, water, noise, and infrastructure costs. All 16 public speakers at the meeting advocated for the pause or stronger protections. Commissioners Stephanie Madden, Mike Musick, and Ashley Troutman dissented, arguing the ordinance was too broad and should not cover smaller data center proposals, especially those that might reuse existing warehouses.
City Attorney Palmer Davis clarified that data centers are not currently listed as an allowed use in Lakeland’s development code, effectively prohibiting them, and the moratorium serves as an additional measure while clearer rules are drafted. Lakeland Electric’s acting general manager, Scott Bishop, supported the pause, noting that the utility has never dealt with new customers demanding 50-100 megawatts at once and needs time to craft policies regarding infrastructure costs and customer protection. The ordinance exempts server rooms and computer systems supporting a business’s main purpose, focusing solely on facilities where data center operation is the primary business.