Hillsbough latest locality to take up ban on data centers
Hillsborough County commissioners have taken initial steps towards proposing a moratorium on the development of AI data centers in unincorporated areas of the county. The move includes a directive for staff to draft an ordinance and investigate land use regulations, particularly concerning water usage for cooling. This decision reflects growing local concerns about infrastructure, utility strain, and environmental impacts.
Hillsborough County commissioners unanimously voted to initiate a process for implementing a moratorium on the development of AI data centers within the county's unincorporated areas. The decision was prompted by increasing concerns over data centers' significant impacts on local infrastructure, utilities, land use, and public resources, particularly water and electricity.
Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda, representing District 5, introduced the measures, initially seeking a five-year moratorium before adjusting the proposal based on legal advice regarding Florida's SB180. The state law, passed by the Florida Legislature, restricts local governments from adopting certain development moratoriums for one year after a hurricane landfall, a provision that applies to Hillsborough County due to recent hurricanes. The proposed county ordinance would take effect after SB180 expires in October 2027 or is legally challenged.
In addition to drafting the moratorium ordinance, county staff were directed to review existing land use regulations, specifically considering limits or prohibitions on using potable water for data center cooling. Public opposition to data centers, citing concerns about noise and environmental impacts on conserved lands, was vocalized during the meeting, despite no active data center applications currently in the county. Hillsborough joins other Florida localities like Manatee, Pasco, Zephyrhills, and Sarasota counties in considering or enacting similar development pauses.