County CommissionThursday, November 5
St. Johns County commissioners unanimously pause medium- and large-scale data centers for a year
The Daily St. Augustine team
If you've wondered where St. Johns County stands on data centers, the answer for now is: pause. Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday to temporarily pause development approvals for medium- and large-scale projects, and Action News Jax says it's a one-year, countywide moratorium.
The data center pause lasts a year and starts Nov. 13
- 1 year
- countywide moratorium on medium- and large-scale data centers
- Nov. 13
- when the pause takes effect
- 0
- active data center applications, county officials confirmed
Sources: Jacksonville Daily Record, Action News Jax
Residents asked for the pause while local impacts are evaluated. Beverly Yates, a Northeast Florida resident, said, “There’s too much that’s going on right now with the AI. We need to investigate more about it.”
- Vote: unanimous, Tuesday, Nov. 3
- Motion: District 4 Commissioner Krista Joseph
- Covers: medium- and large-scale data centers, countywide
- Concerns: potential air, noise and water pollution; water and energy use
0active data center applications in St. Johns County
County officials confirmed there are currently no active applications for data center developments.
Source: Action News Jax
District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst voted yes but put demand on residents: “So if people want less demand for data centers, I would simply suggest that you use less data.” Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds has said the state should embrace emerging technology and enact regulations to prevent spikes in consumer utility bills.
Sources: Jacksonville Daily Record, Action News Jax