County Attorney Denise May addresses the Board regarding the draft Ordinance under consideration At its Monday, May 11, 2026 meeting, the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held the first public hearing to consider a proposed ordinance implementing a moratorium of up to 12 months on data centers within unincorporated Nassau County.
As defined in the proposed ordinance, a data center is “a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings housing computer systems and associated components such as telecommunication and data processing systems, to be used for remote storage, processing or distribution of large amounts of data.”
If adopted, the ordinance would temporarily halt the acceptance, review, or approval of applications related to data centers, including development permits, development orders, rezonings, and site plans.
The proposed 12-month moratorium is intended to provide the County with adequate time to conduct a comprehensive review and develop regulations addressing the unique impacts associated with large-scale data centers. Areas identified for further evaluation include:
- Groundwater impacts, water supply, and wastewater treatment
- Electrical grid capacity and infrastructure requirements
- Land use compatibility and development standards
- Environmental considerations, including noise, lighting, and wetlands
- Industry best practices.
According to the presentation, the legislation:
- Maintains the authority of local governments to exercise powers and responsibilities related to comprehensive planning and local development regulations concerning large load customers
- Requires the Public Service Commission to develop minimum large load tariff requirements intended to ensure large load customers pay for their own cost of service and minimize financial risk to existing customers
- Establishes a distinct consumptive use permit (CUP) requirement and application process for large-scale data centers, including authorization for water management districts or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to require the use of reclaimed water as part of CUP approval
- Requires CUP modifications involving large-scale data centers to be treated as new applications and subject to public hearings.
Following the public hearing, the BOCC voted to approve the ordinance on first reading. A second reading and final public hearing is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2026.
To view the presentation and public comments, visit Nassau Clerk Watch Meetings and select the May 11, 2026 BOCC meeting listed as Tab T.
-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer




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