On Monday the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners told the county attorney to draw up a 12-month moratorium that would freeze new data-center applications in the unincorporated county. The move follows a September announcement by Miami energy firm NextNRG about a 1,600-acre lease option near Jacksonville International Airport that flagged 400 acres as a potential hyperscale data-center site. County leaders say the pause will give planners time to study infrastructure needs, land-use compatibility and potential impacts on utility rates before any project advances.
Commissioners Set a Tight Schedule
At the meeting the board directed County Attorney Denise May to prepare an ordinance that would halt the acceptance and processing of new data-center applications for 12 months, a step commissioners framed as precautionary rather than punitive. A draft ordinance is expected to be presented for discussion at the April 27 BOCC meeting, with required public hearings set for May 11 and June 8 at 5 p.m. in the commission chambers. These dates and the commission’s action were outlined in coverage by Jax Daily Record.
NextNRG Announcement Triggered Concern
NextNRG’s September news release said the company secured a long-term lease option on 1,600 acres and planned a 200-megawatt smart microgrid on roughly 1,200 acres while reserving 400 acres for potential hyperscale data centers, per NextNRG. The company framed the site as ready for phased AI and cloud growth because of available power, water and fiber, and that language set off alarm among neighbors. Local reporting and residents’ petitions captured the pushback in recent weeks, as Action News Jax documented.
State Law Is Changing the Rules
Part of the urgency comes from a state bill that would change how utilities and local governments handle large-load users like data centers. The Florida Legislature’s CS/CS/SB 484 requires public utilities to file tariffs for very large customers, preserves local land-use authority and tightens consumptive-use permitting for large-scale data centers; the bill is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, on the Florida Senate. That statewide framework, including tariffs, water rules and new reporting, gives counties clearer options for protecting residents from rate and environmental impacts, supporters say.
How to Follow the Process and Weigh In
The public is invited to attend the April 27 discussion and the May 11 and June 8 hearings. The BOCC’s post lists both hearings at 5 p.m. and identifies the commission chambers at 96135 Nassau Place in Yulee. People who need reasonable accommodations or want more information can contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010, per Nassau County.
Precaution, Not Prohibition, for Now
For now the BOCC is describing the moratorium as a pause, not a permanent wall against data centers. “That’s not true. It’s just not true,” Commissioner John F. Martin told the Jax Daily Record while addressing online rumors. County officials have also said there are currently no active or pending data-center applications in the unincorporated county and that the moratorium would create a formal process should developers come forward.
