PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on the construction of new hyperscale AI data centers Thursday, completing the final vote in a process that began this summer.
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This is an issue WPTV has been following closely for several months. The moratorium adds a definition for a large-scale data center use to the Palm Beach County Unified Land Development Code and establishes a temporary halt on new facilities that meet that definition. The county's zoning commission recommended approval of the measure in August.
The temporary ban gives county officials and staff time to research and draft comprehensive regulations for the fast-growing industry, which has faced increasing public scrutiny. A study from the University of Pennsylvania indicates that approximately 60% of Americans oppose data centers being built in their communities, a significant increase from earlier this year.
The moratorium follows the commission's rejection of Project Tango, a controversial data center expansion proposal near the Arden community, back in July. Residents and commissioners cited concerns that the project could negatively affect nearby homes and Saddle View Elementary School.
The county's action aligns with a national trend, as other local and state governments implement similar moratoriums to better understand and manage AI-related development.
What comes next
During a meeting earlier this year, commissioners and zoning staff discussed a range of potential rules that could be implemented following the one-year study period. Regulations under consideration include:
- Capping a facility's power consumption at 50 megawatts
- Requiring public disclosure of a data center's end-user or operator
- Establishing new restrictions on water use, noise levels and heat emissions
- Creating a permanent task force to monitor the industry's evolution
Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward said she wants adequate time to hear from experts before the moratorium period ends.
"I want to hear from all the experts myself," Woodward said. "A year could fly by pretty quickly, and so I don't want to be at the end of this trying to cram it into another 12-hour meeting."
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores emphasized the importance of ongoing oversight.
"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," Flores said.
Commissioner Weiss on the moratorium
Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss of District 2 said the vote reflects his responsibility to residents.
"It's in my responsibilities to look after the best interests of my fellow residents, and that means not just listening to their concerns but taking action," Weiss told WPTV's Joel Lopez. "And that is important when it comes to the health, safety of our community and when they're at risk,"
Weiss pointed to the rejected Project Tango proposal as a catalyst for the moratorium.
"Right here in Palm Beach County we recently had developers pushing for a hyper scale AI data center right next to a neighborhood and near an elementary school," he said. "Our community knew what happens when a data center comes to town, and we spoke up. Across the country, communities living near data centers have raised issues and concerns about water, electricity usage, wastewater discharges, and noise pollution."
Weiss, a former technology executive who co-chaired a National Association of Counties committee on artificial intelligence in 2023, said he supports AI innovation but not at the expense of communities.
"One of the reasons why I voted to deny this project is the sound impact study behind it. It didn't hold up. We're using the wrong metric, one that misses the low hum these facilities produce around the clock. That hum affects somebody's ability to get a good night's sleep or enjoy a quiet time out on their porch," Weiss said. "Palm Beach County has a message loud and clear, and that was hell no on AI data centers near our neighborhoods. I believe the promise of AI, but embracing innovation doesn't mean ignoring impact on our communities."
Weiss also addressed the race for Florida governor and contrasting candidates' positions on data center development.
"Byron Donalds has earned the nickname 'Data Center Donalds,' and it fits. He's told Florida that pristine land is wide open to data centers, and he's told families to trust the process to find the truth about Byron Donalds. Follow the money. Data center developers have sent nearly a million dollars in campaign checks. When your community takes a backseat to donors bankrolling your campaign. You're not looking out for Palm Beach and you're not looking out for Florida," Weiss said. "Families here need a process they can trust. They need a governor who will pause it, study it, and get it right. Floridians across party lines are on the same page. No data centers in our neighborhoods. Byron Donalds wants to rush these projects forward. David Jolly wants answers first, and he's right. That's why I'm proud to stand with David Jolly, and come Nov. 3, I think the voters will do so too."
Environmental advocate weighs in
Palm Beach County Democratic Environmental Caucus President Reinaldo Diaz said the moratorium is an opportunity to pause and assess the industry's impact.
"The people who want data centers now and right away are the people who are poised to benefit and profit off of them. Regardless of the cost of the community," Diaz told WPTV's Joel Lopez.
He also raised concerns about the environmental impact of data centers on the Everglades ecosystem, particularly regarding water temperature.
"Palm Beach County is the main connection of sending clean water south to the southern Everglades," Diaz said. "The system starts from the Kissimmee River and goes into Lake Okeechobee, then we ideally want to send it south where the water is nice and clean for the rest of the Everglades, so that it makes its way into Florida Bay."
He said the proposed Project Tango site was particularly problematic from an environmental standpoint.
"If you look at our map and if you were to choose the most egregious spot where you would propose something that generates this amount of heat, it would be where this project is being proposed," Diaz said. "That's at the critical juncture of the L8 Canal, the C-51, and the stormwater treatment areas. That's where that's the only connection if you think of it as pipes, that's the only pipe we have right now that sends water south to the lower Everglades."
Diaz warned that even a small temperature increase from a data center could have significant consequences.
"This is a data center that will raise the temperature to the surrounding area by just a couple of degrees as soon as they turn it on. That's so critically important to the Everglades in the environment raising the temperature by just a couple degrees on water that is already stressed by heat raising temperature of the environment," he said. "You're raising the risk of things like cyanobacteria blooms, other bacteria blooms, poor water quality. That compromises all the effort that has been put into Everglades restoration."
Read more of WPTV's coverage below:
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County moves toward 1-year ban on new AI data centers
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Palm Beach County rejects Project Tango AI data center
Palm Beach County
