Lakeland Takes First Step Toward Data Center Moratorium
Lakeland City Commissioners have directed the City Attorney to draft a 12-month moratorium ordinance on large-scale data centers. This decision follows significant public opposition to a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center in west Lakeland. The moratorium, expected to be voted on in July, aims to give the city time to study the industry and define large-scale data centers based on power demands of 50 megawatts or more.
Lakeland City Commissioners have taken a crucial step toward implementing a 12-month moratorium on large-scale data center development, directing City Attorney Palmer Davis to draft an appropriate ordinance. The decision, made at an agenda study session, was prompted by a significant wave of public opposition to a recently proposed 600,000-square-foot data center in west Lakeland.
Attorney Davis indicated that a 12-month pause is a common duration for such moratoriums, providing the city with necessary time to develop specific land use codes for an industry not currently addressed in Lakeland's regulations. A key challenge will be defining what constitutes a "large-scale data center" without inadvertently affecting smaller facilities. Davis suggested focusing on power demands, referencing Senate Bill 484, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which classifies large-scale data centers as those with an anticipated peak electrical load of 50 megawatts or more per month.
The drafted ordinance is slated for a first reading on July 6, with a public hearing and final vote scheduled for July 20. Commissioner Stephanie Madden expressed hopes that upcoming industry conferences will allow Lakeland officials to collaborate with other utilities on best practices for regulating data center power consumption.