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Lakeland considers data center moratorium
The city of Lakeland is considering a 12-month moratorium on data centers, which use a lot of electricity and water. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Lakeland city officials plan to discuss a 12-month moratorium on new data centers during an upcoming agenda study this Friday. The city attorney will look at how to legally define a "hyperscale" data center and analyze regulations used by other municipalities.
Lakeland data center moratorium
What we know:
If the commission signals approval this Friday, a de facto moratorium will immediately take effect. This means any new hyperscale development applications will be denied while municipal staff drafts updated rules for the local land code.
The legislative push follows intense public outcry over "Project Swan," a proposed 550,000-square-foot data center slated for a site near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road.
Courtesy: City of Lakeland
Neighborhood residents voiced heavy concerns regarding noise pollution, water availability, energy consumption, traffic and the safety of area wildlife.
The developer has since put the project on hold while reviewing the initial municipal requirements.
Lakeland City Commissioner Stephanie Madden noted that while the city already hosts data centers, a massive 300-megawatt hyperscale operation presents an entirely different challenge for the local power grid and water permits.
Debating local utility impacts
What they're saying:
"With that public engagement, we want to make sure: Do we have enough electrons on the grid? Do we have enough water on our permit? What kind of scale is the appropriate scale? We already have data centers in Lakeland, but this hyperscale, 300-megawatt use of electricity is just a whole other ballgame," Madden said.
Madden emphasized that a pause is meant to ensure measurable progress rather than just turning away business.
"During the moratorium, it's not just a pause; it's not just saying no to say no. We'll be required by the courts to show we're progressing and asking questions, and we're going to come forward with some regulations to make it work for our land code in the city of Lakeland," Madden said.
City leaders hope the pause pushes technology firms to innovate new infrastructure solutions.
"We want to ask the questions because it could be, with the pushback, that the tech companies come up with solutions, more opportunities, and public-private partnerships —putting skin in the game where they build the power generation or buy the more expensive, alternative water," Madden said.
Future regulatory steps
What's next:
If the commission decides this Friday that a moratorium is the right path, a first reading of the ordinance will take place on July 6. A formal public hearing and final vote would then follow on July 20.
The 12-month timeline is flexible and could end early if officials codify the new regulations sooner. However, commissioners would still be required to cast a formal vote to lift the pause ahead of schedule.
Project Swan future
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed if the developers of Project Swan intend to completely abandon the site or submit a scaled-down proposal. It remains unclear exactly how the city attorney plans to legally distinguish standard data facilities from massive hyperscale operations.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Carla Bayron, who spoke with Lakeland City Commissioner Stephanie Madden about the city’s potential data center moratorium.