At a glance
- The ordinance, as worded, would not apply to three projects already in progress.
- The measure went to the village's planning, zoning, and appeals board for initial approval Nov. 5, then to a special council meeting the same day.
- For a developer or fund assembling land in Martin County, the practical effect is that a new application would be frozen for a year, while the three named projects continue through the village's existing process.
Indiantown, Florida, advanced a one-year data center moratorium through a first reading on Nov. 5. The ordinance, as worded, would not apply to three projects already in progress.
The measure went to the village's planning, zoning, and appeals board for initial approval Nov. 5, then to a special council meeting the same day. Officials said the council had agreed to work with developers already in the data center queue to make sure the moratorium language was 'appropriate.' The wording that surfaced at the special meeting would exempt work already under way.
For a developer or fund assembling land in Martin County, the practical effect is that a new application would be frozen for a year, while the three named projects continue through the village's existing process.
The exempt projects are Silver Fox, Growler and Tesoro Groves. Silver Fox is a 606-acre data center proposed by Panatonni and Ferreira. It drew controversy earlier this year, and the developers adjusted the proposal to mitigate local impact, including a promise that the facility would be 'waterless.' Growler is proposed on a former Florida Steel Corporation mill site now designated a Superfund site requiring long-term, federally overseen cleanup. Tesoro Groves covers 5,722 acres of planned hyperscale AI development, with battery storage and solar arrays, on land currently owned by Florida Power & Light. Indiantown is in Martin County, roughly 42 miles northwest of Palm Beach.
Councilor Anthony Dowling tied the moratorium to the village's August 2026 local election, in which all three incumbents, criticized for their support of data centers, were voted out. 'The citizens of this community complained that they were not being told what was happening,' Dowling said at the special meeting, according to Data Center Dynamics. He added that residents were 'being left out of the decision-making process, information that did not see the light of day.'
The council will also create a citizens advisory committee to discuss the data center issue. A public hearing and second reading come next.
The three projects the moratorium spares
Acreage and site status of the projects exempt from Indiantown's one-year data center freeze
| Project | Acres | Site and developer |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Fox | 606 | Panatonni and Ferreira; 'waterless' design |
| Growler | Not stated | Former Florida Steel mill; Superfund site |
| Tesoro Groves | 5,722 | Hyperscale AI; FPL-owned land |
Reported by The Wrap desk from Data Center Dynamics. Published . Corrections