DADE CITY, Fla. — Pasco County commissioners voted Thursday to move forward with a data center moratorium, subject to some language changes, after a nearly 3-hour public hearing. The vote comes as the City of Zephyrhills discussed a similar measure at Monday's council meeting.
Many people who came out said they are thankful for this temporary pause, but they hope it will be permanent.
WATCH: Pasco County commissioners vote to move forward with data center moratorium
A packed house filled the Pasco County courthouse, with many raising their hands to participate in the conversation surrounding data centers. Nearly 30 people took the podium to share their concerns.
During public comment, residents raised similar concerns — from water usage to the potential for added noise, higher electricity demands, and what it could mean for nearby property values.
"What is the carbon cost?" one resident said.
"Nobody wants them, but everyone uses them," David Hammon, a Wesley Chapel resident, said.
"Who profits — billionaires? I mean, do we need more billionaires making more of our money, taking our water, taking our electricity?" a Dade City resident said.
One speaker said data centers serve a purpose, but don't belong in Florida.
"I will tell you, we need data centers, we really do - information technology, hospitals, colleges, they all need it. We do not need data centers in Florida. We are natural-disaster prone, we are prone to hurricanes, we are prone to fires - they do not belong here," a Pasco County resident said.
Some residents are also worried about the impact on life — from humans to wildlife — as seen among those who held signs outside the courthouse ahead of Thursday's meeting.
"With fragile ecosystems and threats like hurricane season and natural destruction of our resources and ecosystems, I'm very, very concerned about the sustainability of these future assets," Stephanie Leadbetter, a Zephyrhills resident, said.
"I think at this point we're using water for a machine, right? But water, it belongs to all of us humans. It belongs to the animals. It belongs to our environment," Shelly Baksh, a Zephyrhills resident, said.
Water was an issue that kept coming up — especially since the county is just emerging from a historic drought.
"I'm being asked to not water my lawn, not wash my car, turn off the water while I'm brushing my teeth, but we are going to consider a massive data center that consumes a huge amount of our precious water," Cindy said.
One person who built a smaller data center in the area agreed with the concerns but is an advocate who says there should be certain limitations.
"Our stance is not to stop the moratorium — we are not here to stop them — all I would ask is that the county follows what the state has already done. The state has already categorized a ban on 50 megawatts or more," he said.
Commissioners shared their concerns about the language of the moratorium itself and agreed that more research is needed.
And the conversation is far from over. In Zephyrhills, the City Council is set to take up the issue again during its second and final reading on Monday, June 22.
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