The Florida data center freeze is picking up steam across the Tampa Bay region, where five local governments have enacted one-year moratoriums on new construction.
Manatee County is set to join that list, which includes Lakeland and Pasco and Sarasota counties.
ALSO READ: Sarasota County blocks hyperscale data centers for at least one year
County commissioners voted last week for a pause on all development for "large-load customers," which includes AI facilities, Bitcoin mining operations and other companies that demand massive amounts of water and power. The moratorium could be up to one year.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard said the move allows Manatee staff to consider changes to the land use code while prioritizing public health, infrastructure and environmental needs.
"Basically, what we're trying to do here is figure out where the gaps are in our regulations with regards to data centers," she said.
Microsoft, Meta and Google use large hyperscale facilities to run and train artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT.
The Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association found these cloud computing centers use as much as 5 million gallons of water per day. That's equivalent to the water use of a town of 30,000-50,000 people.
Mark Van De Ree, an East Manatee resident, thanked the county for the move.
"I think it's the right thing to do," he said. "Hopefully twelve months will be enough."
He asked commissioners to go one step further and hold off on approving any comprehensive county plan until data center regulations are in place.
Resident Martha Jacobs applauded the move, citing threats such centers pose to already-strained water resources in West Manatee.
"Are we even out of the drought?" she said. "We don't have enough water."
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of West Manatee is under extreme drought.
Jacobs added it was urgent local governments act now to regulate data center construction.
ALSO READ: Byron Donalds opposes a statewide moratorium on data centers
The Republican front-runner for governor, Byron Donalds, opposes such moratoriums, and he's received six-figure contributions from data center backers.
This includes Fort Meade LLC, which is developing a $2.6 billion data center campus in southern Polk County. Officials in nearby Lakeland voted early this week in favor of their own data center stopgap.
Three different Manatee commissioners — Ballard, Tal Siddique and Bob McCann — presented their own moratorium proposals at the July 28 meeting. Siddique said he hopes the pause to last at least a year.
The staff-prepared ordinance will have public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners before final approval.
