St. Johns Commissioners place moratorium on data centers
The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on medium- and large-scale data center development throughout the county. The pause follows public concerns about potential air, noise and water pollution, as well as data centers' energy and water consumption.
The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on medium- and large-scale data center development, effective Nov. 13. County officials said there were no active data center applications when the measure was adopted.
The moratorium followed calls from community members for additional review of potential environmental and infrastructure impacts. Commissioner Krista Joseph introduced the motion, while Commissioner Christian Whitehurst supported it but questioned whether residents' growing use of data and artificial intelligence could increase demand for new facilities.
The decision comes amid broader debate in Florida over technology infrastructure. Governor-elect Byron Donalds has advocated supporting emerging technology while adopting safeguards against increases in consumer utility costs.