Lakeland begins drafting one-year moratorium for large-scale data centers
Lakeland city leaders are beginning to draft a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers. This action comes amid a growing battle over a proposed data center and concerns about its utility impacts, particularly electricity and water usage.
Lakeland city leaders have initiated the process of drafting a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers. This move follows a period of mounting contention regarding a proposed data center within the city.
The primary drivers behind the proposed moratorium are concerns over the potential strain on local utilities. Specifically, officials are examining the significant electricity demand that these facilities would impose on the existing power grid, questioning where this power would originate and if data centers would provide their own generation. Additionally, there are substantial inquiries into the amount of water and wastewater services a data center would consume. Chad Mills of Tampa Bay 28 reported on these developments from Lakeland.