Opposition against AI data centers is prompting county leaders to put a pause on applications for related large-scale proposals in the near future.
The Palm Beach County Commission gave initial approval to a one-year moratorium on accepting data center applications at a zoning hearing Thursday, Aug. 27. If given final approval, county officials will conduct research and create stricter, permanent regulations for the rapidly advancing technology infrastructure.
The commissioners requested that county staff bring forward a moratorium for their consideration after receiving multiple data center applications. They agreed that the county’s current unified land development code (ULDC) does not adequately regulate data centers, especially because the scope and scale of this type of technology infrastructure has changed dramatically over the last few years.
The moratorium ordinance defines a large-scale data center as a single-location facility containing primarily electronic equipment used to store and process digital information, with an anticipated monthly peak load of 50 megawatts or more. The language of the ordinance follows state statutes that give local governments the ability to regulate large-load power customers and large-scale data centers by defining the two by using 50 megawatts as a threshold.
Earlier in August, the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission recommended approval of the moratorium. Those on the zoning commission wanted to include broader language that addressed water usage, sound and heat concerns. However, county staff advised following state law because of potential legal challenges using Senate Bill 180. The Florida law passed in 2025 limits local governments’ ability to change their land development codes until October 2027.
Despite this, staff included other revisions, including adding language to prevent developers from fragmenting projects to go below the 50-megawatt threshold; excluding properties affected by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton from the moratorium; and requiring developers proposing a data center below the 50-megawatt limit to obtain a certification from a professional engineer to prove that the project is below that threshold.
Sue Loyzelle, a resident of Arden, still believed that the county needs to adopt broader definitions in the moratorium because of how much a data center can impact a local area. Arden is adjacent to the controversial proposed data center known as Project Tango.
“Use the moratorium to close loopholes, gather expert analysis, protect water and infrastructure, and make sure the code is clear and enforceable — and strong enough to protect Palm Beach County for decades,” she said.
Others who gave public comment supported the restriction because it would give officials time to develop concrete regulations that can address multiple areas of concern.
“I believe this time should be used to properly study these facilities before changing the ULDC… This cannot just be about electricity,” said Lisa Johnson, who was representing the Acreage Landowners’ Association. “The county studies should include electricity, power demands, infrastructure required, water, cooling demand, groundwater, private wells, heat and the 24-hour cooling impacts beyond the property line.”
The approval of the moratorium follows recent backlash over Project Tango. The proposal included a hyperscale AI data center on nearly 200 acres of land west of Arden and near Saddle View Elementary School off Southern Blvd. near 20-Mile Bend. County commissioners, during a 12-hour meeting in July where dozens of residents voiced opposition, voted against approving it. However, the developers have challenged the county ruling in court.
The moratorium would only apply to any future applications after it is approved. Those submitted before will still be reviewed by county staff and potentially be considered by the county commissioners.
In addition to the year-long restriction, local leaders were interested in creating a task force to help develop new regulations for data centers. Each commissioner would be able to appoint a member to the task force.
Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter and Commissioner Maria Sachs invited residents who gave public comments to reach out to their offices to be part of the task force.
“Whatever task force we put together should continue to study how this technology continues to evolve and what potential impacts it could play in the future,” Commissioner Joel Flores said.
Vice Mayor Marci Woodward even suggested joining the task force herself to learn more about the data centers and be better informed for future decisions.
“I want to know everything that’s coming at this,” Woodward said. “I want to hear from all the experts myself because, ultimately, we’re the decision makers… and there’s a lot to learn.”
The board unanimously approved the moratorium ordinance. Commissioners will consider the second and final reading on the matter Thursday, Sept. 24.
