Florida

Lakeland city commissioners voted 4-3 Monday to approve a one-year moratorium on data center development, following opposition to a planned 600,000-square-foot facility near Old Tampa Highway that would consume up to 100 megawatts of power. Critics cite concerns about energy demands, water consumption, and noise, while supporters view data centers as economically beneficial.

Spectrum Bay News 9 · Polk Co., FL

Lakeland's City Commission voted 4-3 to impose a one-year moratorium on development of large-scale data centers requiring 50 megawatts or more of power, with supporters citing the need to study impacts and establish safeguards while opponents argued the language was too broad.

Tampa Bay 28 · Polk Co., FL

Headline onlyLakeland Ledger · Florida

Florida gubernatorial candidate Frank J. Russo announced a Data Center & AI Infrastructure Initiative designed to position Florida as a leader in artificial intelligence while protecting the state's water resources, electric grid, agriculture, and communities. Russo plans to host a community roundtable later this month with technology leaders, utilities, farmers, and environmental experts to shape future policy recommendations.

PR Newswire · Florida

Edgewater city commissioners will decide Monday whether to place a permanent data center ban on the November ballot for voter approval. The proposal would prohibit data center construction, expansion, and operation within city limits, unlike a temporary moratorium.

WKMG · Volusia Co., FL · also at WKMG

Headline onlyTreasure Coast News · Florida

DeSoto County, Florida, commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data center applications, but the rules exempt a controversial project by DCIP Group that secured earlier rezoning approval for an initial 34 acres and requested rezoning for more than 800 additional acres as part of a roughly 1,300-acre long-term vision.

Yahoo · Florida

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has proposed House Resolution 9777, which would require hyperscale AI data centers to supply their own electricity and water instead of drawing from public utilities, aimed at preventing rising power costs from being passed to residential and commercial customers. The proposal goes further than the Trump administration's voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge, making the requirement mandatory.

The Cool Down · Florida

tampabay.com · Hillsborough Co., FL · also at The Derrick

Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with a moratorium on data centers, citing concerns about energy and water use. The county will conduct research and hold public hearings to finalize the temporary ban, which officials said should last at least one year.

Miami Herald · Miami-Dade Co., FL

Four journalists covering Florida's data center expansion will discuss the issue at a free public forum Aug. 11 in Venice, hosted by Suncoast Searchlight and Seeking Rents. The panel will address the industry's rapid growth across the state and local communities' concerns about environmental impacts and electricity demand.

sarasotamagazine.com · Florida

Opposition to data center construction has emerged as an unexpected bipartisan issue, with a Gallup poll showing seven in 10 Americans oppose local data center projects. Both conservative and progressive groups cite environmental concerns, surveillance risks, and quality-of-life impacts, though conservatives also worry about potential Chinese infiltration of U.S. technology.

Boing Boing · Florida

Headline onlyWKRG · Florida · also at WKRG

The Alabama News Wire · Florida