Wakulla becomes latest Florida county to restrict data center construction

The County Commission’s vote to ban data centers was unanimous.

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Wakulla County has joined a growing list of Florida counties that have paused or banned construction of AI data centers, with County Commissioners voting unanimously in favor of a permanent ban.

The vote came even as the board’s attorney cautioned that an indefinite ban put the county on a riskier legal footing than a temporary moratorium.

Acknowledging the packed meeting room and numerous speakers in favor of the ban, Commissioner Ralph Thomas argued constituents clearly had an “appetite” for a ban.

Most residents who spoke during public comment cited water usage and environmental concerns as their biggest reason for opposing data centers. Wakulla County is home to Wakulla Springs, the most extensive submerged cave network in North America.

“Wakulla County’s greatest asset is not something that we built … but actually something that we inherited: our natural resources, our water, our coastline, our springs, our river, our fishery,” said local resident Hunter Levine, a full-time fishing podcaster.

Commissioners leaned heavily into SB 484, which the Legislature passed in March to regulate data centers. Among other things, the law reaffirms local governments’ authority to restrict data center development through their comprehensive planning and land development regulations.

“It’s a unanimous ‘no,’” said Commissioner Quincee Messersmith, taking a lighthearted jab at those who have criticized the board for unanimously approving developments in the past. Stopping overdevelopment has become a rallying cry in Wakulla County, and Messersmith has drawn a Primary challenger who has positioned herself as a slow-growth candidate.

Wakulla follows other counties that have banned data center build-outs, including nearby Jackson County, which also adopted a permanent ban on June 9. Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Nassau counties have adopted, or are poised to adopt, one-year moratoriums on new data center construction.

With polls showing Americans increasingly opposed to data centers being built near them, politicians on both sides of the aisle are trying to capitalize on the saliency of the issue.

Democratic congressional candidate Nic Zateslo, running to represent Wakulla County in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, appeared at Monday’s meeting to support the ban. He also spoke at a Tallahassee City Commission meeting last week in which Commissioners rejected a data center ban.

AI politics has also become a flashpoint in the Republican gubernatorial Primary, with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins attacking U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for supporting data centers.