Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on the construction of new hyperscale AI data centers Thursday, completing the final vote in a process that began this summer.
Palm Beach County approves 1-year AI data center moratorium
This is an issue WPTV has been following closely for several months. The moratorium adds a definition for a large-scale data center use to the Palm Beach County Unified Land Development Code and establishes a temporary halt on new facilities that meet that definition. The county’s zoning commission recommended approval of the measure in August.
The temporary ban gives county officials and staff time to research and draft comprehensive regulations for the fast-growing industry, which has faced increasing public scrutiny. A study from the University of Pennsylvania indicates that approximately 60% of Americans oppose data centers being built in their communities, a significant increase from earlier this year.
The moratorium follows the commission’s rejection of Project Tango, a controversial data center expansion proposal near the Arden community, back in July. Residents and commissioners cited concerns that the project could negatively affect nearby homes and Saddle View Elementary School…