WE  THE RESIDENTS OF BAY COUNTY, FL SAY NO TO ANY DATA CENTER BEING BUILT IN OUR COUNTY

Petition to Enact a Permanent Ban on Data Centers in Bay County, Florida

To the Bay County Board of County Commissioners and Planning Officials:

We, the undersigned residents, homeowners, and taxpayers of Bay County, Florida, call upon our elected officials to protect our communities, infrastructure, and natural resources by enacting a permanent ban on data centers within county borders.
While we applaud the Commission’s implementation of a temporary 6-month moratorium, a temporary pause is not enough. The catastrophic long-term risks these facilities pose to our residential water supply, local ecosystems, and public health require a permanent  BAN on data centers in our county.  

The Critical Threats to Bay County:
Destructive Impact on Water Wells: Data centers require millions of gallons of groundwater daily for cooling. Pumping at this industrial scale drops the water table and creates a "cone of depression" (a severe drop in underground water levels and pressure). For local residents, this means shallow wells will dry up entirely, and deep-well owners face severe long-term risks—including pump burnout, structural well damage, drop-offs in water pressure, and heavily spiked electric bills as residential pumps are forced to work exponentially harder to pull water.
Constant Industrial Noise Pollution: Data centers operate 24/7, generating a continuous, relentless low-frequency hum from thousands of industrial cooling fans and massive HVAC infrastructure. This specific type of low-frequency noise easily penetrates home walls and windows, causing chronic sleep disruption, persistent anxiety, and severe mental exhaustion for families living miles away. It completely destroys neighborhood peace and triggers a devastating devaluation of residential properties.
Devastating Strains on Local Wildlife: Massive data centers introduce industrial-scale sound, heavy lighting, and toxic thermal wastewater runoff. Continuous 24/7 noise and artificial glow shatter natural wildlife corridors, disrupt breeding patterns, and drive native birds, bats, and mammals away from their habitats. Furthermore, heavy local aquifer drawdowns threaten the surface water levels of our protected creeks and wetlands, cutting off crucial hydration sources for local animals. The destruction of these natural spaces deeply fractures the native biodiversity of our county, pushing deer away and significantly lowering the population as their natural foraging grounds and migration paths are permanently destroyed.
Severe Electrical Grid Strain: These facilities consume massive amounts of power. This astronomical demand threatens grid stability, increases the risk of blackouts, and will inevitably drive up energy costs for everyday residential utility consumers.
Zoning Creep and Loss of Rural Aesthetics: Allowing massive industrial complexes to flank our primary residential corridors invites unwanted zoning creep, invasive fiber-optic utility tracking surveillance, and ruins the natural, rural character that defines our community hubs.

Our Demand:
We demand that the Bay County Board of County Commissioners transition the current temporary moratorium into a permanent amendment to the Bay County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations, explicitly prohibiting the zoning, permitting, construction, or expansion of data center facilities in Bay County. Ban these data centers 100%. 

Protect our water. Protect our wildlife. Protect our peace. Protect our homes.