Walton Officials Push for Urgent Ban on Data Centers
Walton County commissioners voted 5–0 to draft an outright ban on AI data centers before any facility has even applied to locate in the county.
The 5–0 vote, led by Commissioner Danny Glidewell, reflects mounting anxiety over water consumption, electric grid strain, noise, light pollution, and environmental damage that residents say could permanently alter the character of the Florida Panhandle community.
Commissioners Act Before a Proposal Exists
Glidewell made the motion at Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, telling colleagues, “What I am asking and 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.”
The urgency is intentional. No data center application has been filed in Walton County, but commissioners say they learned a hard lesson from the solar farm fights: waiting too long cost them leverage. Glidewell warned, “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.”
Commissioner Dan Curry echoed the need for speed: “We really need to get in front of this before we can’t get in front of it.” Curry said constituents are primarily concerned about environmental impacts, especially water. “It takes a lot of water to cool these things down. What is going into the water? What are we doing with the water afterwards? There are too many ifs and questions out there at this point.”
The First Reading Is Set for June 9
The drafted ordinance is expected to receive its first reading at the next Walton County Commission meeting on June 9, 2026. County Attorney Clay Atkinson told commissioners the language will focus on whether AI data centers would be sustainable in the county — framing the ban around land-use regulation rather than an outright prohibition, a strategy that could help it survive legal challenge.
SB 180 Complicates Local Control
A significant obstacle looms: Florida’s SB 180, a 2025 state law that limits local governments from adopting new land-use regulations or development moratoriums in storm-affected areas under certain conditions. Atkinson warned commissioners that Walton County’s authority may already be constrained under the law.
Glidewell acknowledged the threat but argued that acting fast could allow the county to be “grandfathered in” before state preemption takes further hold. The fight over data centers is also a fight over home rule — whether Florida counties still have the power to stop projects their communities oppose.
Instead of a flat ban, the county may need to regulate data centers indirectly through zoning definitions, water regulations, utility constraints, and land-use categories — a legal end-around that could achieve similar results while surviving SB 180 scrutiny.
Residents Point to Georgia as a Warning
Several residents cited communities in Georgia as cautionary tales. Warren Whitaker — Glidewell’s opponent in the August 18 primary for the District 2 Commission seat — warned about small towns where data centers moved in: “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.”
Resident concerns centered on:
- Water consumption — Large AI data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling, a critical issue in a region dependent on the Floridan Aquifer System for drinking water
- Electricity demand — A 2024 study found U.S. data centers already account for more than 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption, and 78% of Americans in a Consumer Reports survey worried data centers would raise electricity bills
- Noise and light pollution — Continuous operations, cooling fans, and security lighting disrupt rural communities
- Property values — Residents fear nearby homes would lose value
- Environmental strain — Fossil fuel demands, carbon emissions, and stress on Walton County’s fragile coastal ecosystems
The Industry Pushes Back — Softly
Not all data centers use the same cooling systems. Some employ recycled or closed-loop water systems, and industry groups argue many environmental fears are “overstated.” Supporters also note that data centers can generate tax revenue, infrastructure investment, and construction jobs — though critics counter that permanent staffing levels are typically small once a facility becomes operational.
Bay County Considering a Moratorium Too
Walton County isn’t alone. Bay County officials say their commission is expected to consider a temporary moratorium on AI data centers at their next meeting on Tuesday, June 3. The region-wide concern suggests the data center fight could spread across multiple Panhandle counties.
What Comes Next
Walton County’s strategy will likely blend direct prohibition with indirect regulation — zoning restrictions, water-use caps, and utility constraints designed to make the county inhospitable to data center development regardless of whether a flat ban survives legal challenge.
As one resident told commissioners: “We need something strong. We need something that will stop this in any way possible.”
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.
Originally reported by Mid Bay News and WJHG
