ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Orange County could soon put the brakes on new artificial intelligence data centers as a county commissioner proposes a temporary moratorium while officials study the potential impact of the massive facilities.<\/p>\n
Vice Mayor and District 5 Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad is asking the Orange County Commission to consider a moratorium of at least one year on new data center applications.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to push pause. We have to get the county time to figure out what we\u2019re signing up for,\u201d Semrad said.<\/p>\n
The proposal comes as demand for large-scale data centers grows. Semrad\u2019s report says Orange County currently lacks specific language in its land development code to directly regulate data centers, which are implicitly allowed under industrial zoning districts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re starting from ground zero,\u201d Semrad said.<\/p>\n
Under Florida law, large-scale data centers are facilities anticipating monthly peak loads of at least 50 megawatts.<\/p>\n
[RELATED: Here\u2019s what Florida\u2019s new data center law changes]<\/p>\n
The commissioner\u2019s concerns include the amount of water and electricity these facilities can require, as well as their size.<\/p>\n
The report cites research from the World Resources Institute and 1000 Friends of Florida stating that a single modern AI data center can use as much power as 100,000 homes. It also says the average data center site in 2024 covered about 224 acres, roughly the size of 450 football fields.<\/p>\n
Water use is another concern. The report cites the Environment and Energy Study Institute as saying large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day. It also says Orange County Utilities relies on groundwater for its primary drinking water supply and cites a projected regional groundwater shortfall of 96 million gallons per day by 2045.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now is the time period to push pause to figure out whether or not we have the existing resources to support facilities like this,\u201d Semrad said.<\/p>\n
The proposed moratorium would give county staff time to study the environmental, social and economic impacts of data centers, consult with experts and residents, and review the county\u2019s existing policies and development standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cA moratorium is not anti-business, it\u2019s not anti-technology. It\u2019s a timeout to give our local government time to get policy, get regulation, to determine if we can even host these facilities,\u201d Semrad said.<\/p>\n
Semrad\u2019s report recommends that any moratorium apply to prospective data center applications in Orange County and last at least one year. It also calls for research into natural resources, community character, the economic landscape, zoning implications and energy capacity.<\/p>\n
The discussion is scheduled for Sept. 15.<\/p>\n
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