Pasco leaders approve one-year moratorium on data center construction

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Pasco County leaders have approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction and development.

Commissioners unanimously advanced the measure last month, and it passed unanimously again at Tuesday’s meeting.

The pause would only apply to unincorporated Pasco County. Cities in Pasco County would make their own call.

Commissioners will take time in reviewing public concerns, which they heard more of during the meeting. They will also look at the potential environmental and financial impacts of large load data centers.

Data centers vary in size and design depending on the company behind them, but are known to house thousands of computer servers and data storage systems that operate around the clock. 

Critics worry about facilities’ energy demands, water consumption, and noise generated by backup systems. While supporters argue that data centers are increasingly necessary as demand for AI increases and can be good economic drivers. 

Currently, the only approved data center project in the Tampa Bay region is a large, multimillion-dollar development planned for Fort Meade. Additional planning and approvals are still required before construction can begin.