BROWARD COUNTY, FL — Broward County officials are moving to temporarily halt the development of large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas, citing concerns about environmental protection, residential communities, water consumption and rising electricity costs.
The Broward County Commission voted unanimously last Tuesday to direct the county attorney’s office to draft an ordinance establishing a one-year moratorium on the facilities. The proposed pause would give county officials time to study the potential effects of large data center projects and develop regulations before considering future development.
The moratorium is not yet in effect. Commissioners must review and approve the proposed ordinance before the temporary restrictions can be implemented. Commissioner Lamar Fisher, who introduced the measure, expects it to return to the commission for a final vote next month, although consideration could be pushed to December.
Fisher emphasized that the proposal is intended as a proactive measure rather than a response to a particular development application.
Environmental Concerns Drive Proposal
Protecting Broward County’s environmentally sensitive areas is among the key concerns behind the proposed moratorium.
Commissioner Beam Furr pointed to the county’s extensive unincorporated territory in the Everglades, warning that development in these areas could pose environmental challenges.
“It’s 3/4th of the county that’s out in the Everglades. That’s the part that is probably the most vulnerable,” Furr said.
Large data centers can require substantial amounts of electricity and water to operate, particularly when used to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications. Their cooling systems and energy demands have raised questions about how new facilities could affect local resources and surrounding communities.
Fisher said county officials must ensure that residential neighborhoods are protected from the potential consequences of large-scale development.
“Our goal is to be able to make sure we protect our residential folks,” Fisher said. “History has shown these large data centers don’t do that.”
He also questioned whether the facilities’ significant demands for electricity and water could contribute to higher costs for residents.
“Centers that create so much electricity, absorb so much water, and you’re hearing too that, does that affect the cost of our residential communities?” he asked.
Proposed Ban Would Cover Unincorporated Areas
The proposed moratorium would apply only to unincorporated Broward County, where the county government has direct land-use authority. It would not allow county officials to dictate development decisions made by individual municipalities.
That distinction limits the geographic reach of the proposal, as incorporated cities retain authority over development within their own jurisdictions.
If approved, the temporary ban would provide county officials with time to evaluate the infrastructure requirements, environmental risks and potential community impacts associated with large data centers. The review could also help establish standards for future proposals.
Because the measure has not yet received final approval, its precise implementation and regulatory details remain subject to the ordinance-making process.
Growing Demand for AI Infrastructure Raises Questions
Data centers are specialized facilities that house computer servers and networking equipment used to store information, deliver cloud services and process digital workloads, including artificial intelligence applications.
Under Florida law, large-scale data centers are defined as facilities that draw at least 50 megawatts of electricity at peak demand, an amount capable of supplying electricity to tens of thousands of homes, depending on consumption levels.
Hyperscale facilities can demand hundreds of megawatts of power and occupy millions of square feet, placing significant demands on electrical infrastructure, cooling systems and water resources.
As investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing accelerates, data centers have become increasingly attractive commercial real estate projects. However, their resource requirements have prompted local governments to examine whether existing infrastructure and environmental protections are sufficient to accommodate future growth.
Broward County already has at least four operating data centers, according to Data Center Map. Those existing facilities are smaller than the large-scale developments targeted by the proposed moratorium.
The county’s initiative would give officials an opportunity to examine the implications of larger projects before deciding how they should be regulated.
Broward Joins Other Florida Counties Weighing Restrictions
Broward is not alone in considering limits on large-scale data center development.
Palm Beach County has enacted its own one-year moratorium, which is scheduled to remain in effect through September 2027. The move reflects growing scrutiny of data center proposals as communities weigh the economic benefits of digital infrastructure against concerns about energy consumption, water availability and environmental impacts.
At the state level, legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May preserves local governments’ authority to regulate data center development, providing a legal framework for counties and municipalities to consider local restrictions.
For Broward County, the immediate focus is on drafting an ordinance that would establish the proposed temporary ban and define how it would operate.
If commissioners approve the measure, the one-year pause would give the county time to assess the potential consequences of large-scale data center development and determine what safeguards may be necessary.
For now, the proposal remains in its early stages, with a final commission vote still required before any moratorium can take effect.