Orange County commissioner seeks pause on AI data center applications - Spectrum News 13

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad is calling for a temporary moratorium on AI data center applications for at least one year while the county studies possible regulations and seeks community input.

Semrad, who represents District 5, outlined the proposal in a five-page memo addressed to the mayor and fellow commissioners. She wants the county to discuss how it can regulate AI data centers before future development applications are submitted.

Semrad said Orange County currently has no land use code, regulations or policies specifically addressing AI data centers. She said the county needs a framework to determine what types of data center uses it can responsibly host.

In the memo, she says county staff could research the issue and engage with residents during the proposed pause. She cited town halls as one way to gather community feedback.

Semrad also pointed to research indicating data centers can place a large strain on natural resources.

“We know with AI data centers, they consume an incredible amount of water. We know in Orange County, we’re facing a water shortage in 2035, where we have to consider alternative water sources for consumption of residents,” said Semrad.

She also mentioned data centers use significant amounts of electricity and create noise pollution.

“We also know that they pull an enormous amount of energy off of our grid. We don’t know if the power grid can support it without distributing costs to taxpayers,” said Semrad.

Semrad is not aware of any active AI data center applications in Orange County. However she said it is only a matter of time before applications come in.

“I think that AI data centers are in pursuit of land across the entire nation, where they can build and where they can develop,” Semrad said. “So if they’re not here yet, they will be at some point in time and we need to have a regulatory framework to determine what we can responsibly host and how and what our community wants.”

Semrad said she would like the county to pause applications, put a policy in place and protect residents from potential negative impacts tied to data centers.

The memo will be discussed during the Board of County Commissioners meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. at the county office located at 201 S Rosalind Ave.