Sarasota and Manatee Counties Enact Data Center Moratoriums; Forum and Workshops Scheduled

Sarasota County enacted a one-year moratorium on data center applications. Manatee County unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium, joining Sarasota and Pasco. A community meeting in Venice drew 150 attendees; a forum on Aug 11 featured journalists discussing community pushback and NDAs; North Port scheduled a Sept 3 workshop with FPL and water authority experts. Venice Council agenda for Aug 25 includes data center moratorium discussion. This is a major environmental and land-use story.