LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Lake County commissioners are considering a temporary pause on any new data center proposals, but stopped short of taking formal action on Tuesday.
Instead, commissioners directed county staff to gather more information and explore possible options before they potentially draft an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on future data center applications in unincorporated Lake County.
The discussion comes as large-scale data centers continue to expand across Florida.
Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini said he is concerned about the pace of proposed projects.
“It’s coming at a very alarming rate,” he said. “I think it’s time to pause and really take the time to study what these things are about because it’s a very big decision.”
Sabatini said there have been 12 applications for large data centers submitted across Florida within the last year.
Supporters of data centers argue that the facilities can attract millions of dollars in private investment, increase local tax revenue, and help meet growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Those backing a temporary pause, however, say local governments need more time to study the potential impacts before approving projects.
Concerns raised during Tuesday’s discussion included land use and the significant electricity and water demands required to operate large-scale data centers.
Several residents also urged commissioners to proceed cautiously.
“We should not assume every AI data center proposal serves the public interest,” said a resident who identified herself only as Nicole. “Instead, we should demand rigorous environmental review, transparent cost/benefit analysis, and strong protections for local communities before moving forward.”
Some commissioners said they believe it’s only a matter of time before developers begin targeting rural areas of Lake County for similar projects.
Sabatini said any future decision should prioritize the interests of Lake County residents.
“We want to make sure if we ever allow something like that, it would benefit the people that live here, and these applications don’t, from what I can tell and what I’ve studied,” said Sabatini.
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