Putnam County Halts Large Data Centers | Gainesville News

Gainesville News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 9, 2026 · 1m

Putnam County, Florida, has just slapped a temporary brake on big data center projects—with unanimous approval from commissioners—and it’s set to last until September next year. They’re not playing games: they’ve clearly defined what qualifies as “medium and large scale,” showing this isn’t a knee-jerk reaction but a deliberate, thoughtful pause. As communities nationwide wrestle with the environmental and energy toll of these tech giants, Putnam’s move signals growing local awareness—and resistance—to unchecked growth. For now, any new large-scale proposals? On hold. This decision could…