Walton County Seeks to Ban AI Data Centers

[Mike Jones]

The AI data center discussion has started popping up all over the Panhandle.

Jackson County was the first to take preventative steps against data centers in the area.

Several counties have followed suit, with Walton County making steps toward flat-out banning the centers.

“I’m making this a motion to instruct legal to bring us back at the earliest possible opportunity an ordinance prohibiting data centers in Walton County, period,” Walton County Commissioner Danny Glidewell said.

Commissioner Glidewell called his motion an opportunity to “get ahead” of a data center proposal.

“Data centers use an inordinate amount of water and an inordinate amount of electricity,” Glidewell said.

Although Commissioner Dan Curry suggested the motion have “more teeth” on it, Glidewell’s motion garnered a unanimous vote.

Attorney Clay Adkinson said Senate Bill 180 prohibits them from going the moratorium route that Jackson County took last week.

But said he would fast-track the first draft of the ordinance, which will be read at the June 9th meeting. The discussion will continue in Bay and Holmes counties this week.

Bay County commissioners will be presented with a proposed resolution regarding data centers and a temporary moratorium at Tuesday’s regular commission meeting.

The topic also appears on the agenda for Tuesday’s Holmes County Commission meeting.

The Holmes County Commission meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at 107 East Virginia Avenue.

The Bay County Commission meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at the government center on 11th Street.

 

[Mike Jones]

Residents and Walton County officials voiced fierce opposition on Tuesday to the possibility of future data centers locating in the county. At the May 26 Walton County BCC meeting, public speakers and commissioners alike spoke up against data centers, warning these facilities could strain the county’s water supply, overload the electric grid, and alter the character of the entire area.

Commissioner Danny Glidewell directed county legal staff to begin drafting an ordinance aimed at preventing data centers from ever locating in Walton County. The discussion lasted nearly 30 minutes, with residents and commissioners issuing repeated warnings about groundwater withdrawals, electricity demand, state preemption laws, and the role of economic development agencies in recruiting large industrial projects behind closed doors.

Several residents pointed to communities in Georgia as cautionary examples of rapid data center expansion. Glidewell’s competition in the August 18th primary for the District 2 Commission Seat, Warren Whitaker warned,

“Look at Georgia, that’s a small town that one of these centers comes into, and people are leaving that place, miserable lights rolling all the time.”

Residents also raised concerns about groundwater withdrawals, cooling systems, blackouts, and rising utility costs.

Glidewell pushed for immediate action to block data centers before they bid on property in Walton County.

“We have an opportunity to get ahead of this thing,” Glidewell exhorted the other commissioners, “If you think the solar farms are bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet before you get a data center that’s going to suck all the water out.”

Senate Bill 180

Much of Tuesday’s discussion centered around SB 180, a 2025 Florida law that limits local governments from adopting certain new land use regulations or development moratoriums in storm-affected areas under certain conditions, a provision county officials say could complicate efforts to block data centers from coming to the area.

County Attorney Clay Atkinson warned commissioners that Walton County’s authority may already be constrained under the law.

Walton County officials say they are not just in a data center fight with SB 180; they are in a fight for local control, home rule authority, and whether counties still have the power to stop projects they oppose.

Commissioner Glidewell directly referenced previous fights over solar farms, arguing the county waited too long to act before the state limited local authority.

Walton County may not be able to simply ban data centers. Instead, the county can regulate them indirectly with zoning, land use definitions, water regulations, and utility constraints. The legal strategy matters just as much now as the political opposition concerning SB 180.

What Now?

While there are no known data center applications currently filed, county officials stress urgency in adopting this prohibition-like ordinance as quickly as possible.

The ordinance language is expected at an upcoming BCC meeting, with debates likely to intensify over property rights, economic development, water availability, and local control versus state authority.

“We need something strong,” one resident told commissioners. “We need something that will stop this in any way possible.”

Data Centers

The debate over data centers comes amid a national surge in AI-driven data center construction fueled by growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence systems. AI systems like ChatGPT require enormous computing power. One 2024 study found that U.S. data centers already account for more than 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption.

Large AI-focused data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling, according to multiple environmental analyses. Water use concerns are amplified in Florida because the state relies heavily on the Floridian Aquifer System for drinking water.

Consumer reports also found that 78% of Americans were concerned that data centers would raise electricity bills. Experts quoted in the report said utilities often pass infrastructure expansion costs onto ratepayers.

Noise and light pollution around the data center are also concerns. So are environmental strains on local water supplies, increased fossil fuel demands, elevated carbon emissions, and pressures being placed on Walton County’s fragile ecosystems.

However, not all data centers use the same cooling systems. Some use recycled or closed-loop water systems, and industry groups argue that many environmental fears are “overstated.”

Additionally, supporters of data centers in other parts of the country argue the facilities can generate tax revenue, infrastructure investment, and construction jobs, though critics often note that permanent staffing levels are small once the facilities are operational.

Whether Walton County can successfully prevent future data centers remains unclear. But Tuesday’s meeting made one thing evident: many county leaders and residents want restrictions in place before developers ever formally move in. Walton County isn’t waiting for a proposal; they’re trying to stop an industry before it arrives.