Pinellas County officials are beginning work on a countywide strategy for regulating data centers after a proposed artificial intelligence facility in Pinellas Park exposed gaps in existing land-use policies.
The Forward Pinellas board backed additional research July 8 and the development of a planning framework that could eventually guide how local governments evaluate future data center proposals across the county.
Forward Pinellas is the county’s planning agency, responsible for coordinating transportation and land-use policy across Pinellas County. Its board includes Pinellas County commissioners and elected officials from municipalities throughout the county…