A one-year moratorium is placed on data centers in Pasco County
Pasco County has enacted a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center development in its unincorporated areas. This decision by the Planning Commission aims to allow county officials time to define and regulate data centers due to community concerns about their high electricity, water, and noise impacts. There are currently no active applications for data centers in the county.
The Pasco County Planning Commission has enacted a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data center development in the county's unincorporated areas. This decision makes Pasco County the latest Florida locality, joining Hernando County, Citrus County, and the city of Zephyrhills, to implement such a pause.
County planning director David Engel stated that the moratorium is necessary to allow officials to properly define and regulate large data centers before they are permitted to build. He noted that while data centers are interested in the area, the county currently lacks the necessary definitions to address their known impacts, such as high demands for electricity and water for cooling, and potential noise concerns. There are no active data center applications pending in Pasco County.
Odessa resident Ryan Broome testified before the commission, expressing strong opposition to data centers in Pasco due to their resource consumption and noise, urging decision-makers to prioritize residents' long-term community vision. The moratorium reflects growing community opposition to data centers across Florida and the nation, driven by environmental and quality-of-life concerns.