Leon County imposes 18‑month moratorium on large data centers, orders study of standards and siting

The Leon County Commission unanimously approved an 18‑month moratorium on large‑scale data center development and directed county staff to research siting standards, water and power thresholds, decommissioning bonds and other regulatory tools.

Staff presented options ranging from no action to a one‑year moratorium; after robust public comment—residents warned about heavy water and electricity use, noise and the long-term fiscal and environmental risks—and technical suggestions from civic technologists, the board amended the motion to an 18‑month pause to give staff time to craft regulations and return with recommendations.

Tech policy advocate Nick Ziteslo urged concrete regulatory measures: “We need a dual trigger on power and water...closed‑loop cooling as the default standard...mandatory ownership disclosure…and decommissioning bonds,” he said. Several residents and environmental speakers asked the county to protect aquifer resources and neighborhoods.

Commissioners emphasized parallel goals: protect water and neighborhoods while leaving open the possibility of attracting responsibly regulated economic development if standards show projects would pose low risk and provide net public benefit. The board instructed staff to draft definitions for “small‑scale” vs. “large‑scale” data centers, propose siting criteria and report back at milestones during the moratorium.

Next steps: staff will develop regulatory options, including technical thresholds and bonding/decommissioning conditions, and present findings and proposed ordinances for public review during the moratorium period.