Hernando, Pasco approve one-year moratoriums on AI data centers
Hernando froze new data-center applications for 365 days before any had been filed, as Pasco moved toward its own pause after hours of resident pushback.
Hernando County put a 365-day hold on data-center petitions and permits in unincorporated areas, blocking a wave of projects before any application had landed. Pasco County advanced a similar 12-month pause after hours of public comment, turning the issue into a regional fight over power, water, noise and land use.
Hernando’s ordinance defines a data center broadly as a facility primarily used to store, manage, process and transmit digital data, including supporting air handlers, generators, cooling systems and utility substations. The Planning Division will use the yearlong pause to draft comprehensive regulations with other county departments, outside experts and neighboring municipalities.
Commissioner John Allocco raised concerns about low-frequency sounds and possible health effects, and said such facilities should be built in unpopulated areas. Commissioner Brian Hawkins said the goal was to make it very difficult to build one in Hernando County. There were no pending Hernando applications when the moratorium was adopted.
The county paired the freeze with a hardship exemption process for developers who can show extraordinary financial hardship tied to a specific site. The filing fee is $500, and applicants must show obligations such as existing contracts or loan commitments.
The debate is unfolding under a new state framework. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 484 in May 2026, giving local governments authority to regulate data centers through comprehensive planning and land-development rules. The law also requires data centers to pay their own utility-service and infrastructure costs instead of shifting them to consumers, and says large facilities may be required to use reclaimed water where feasible. A Senate staff analysis found the impact on electricity rates and costs remains uncertain and will depend on Public Service Commission rulemaking and other factors.
Pasco planning commissioners unanimously recommended the 12-month pause after a standing-room-only hearing, and the final vote was scheduled for July 14, 2026. County staff flagged four issues for further study: compatibility with surrounding land uses, electricity demand, water consumption, wastewater-treatment capacity and environmental concerns such as noise and light pollution.
Citrus County adopted a one-year moratorium while still allowing already-pending applications to continue through the land-use process, including Deltona Corp.’s request to rezone 550 acres near the 800-acre Holder Industrial Park. Wakulla County approved a permanent ban, and Jackson County had already done the same on June 9, 2026.
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