After weeks of debate and three public meetings packed with residents, the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve an ordinance banning data centers in the county's unincorporated areas.

Tommy Nocera, a first-generation Florida native who grew up in Tallahassee and now lives in Barcelona, Spain, says his proposed data center in Jackson County is being misunderstood, and the numbers, he says, prove it. The Times had an extensive interview with Nocera last week and he shared his thoughts, research, and information on the data center he and his family are proposing.

Commissioners heard public comment on a proposed moratorium or ban on AI data centers in Jackson County, with most speakers urging the board to protect local water, power and rural quality of life.

The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners faced a packed chamber and overflowing crowd Tuesday night as residents from Jackson and surrounding counties voiced overwhelming opposition to the possibility of a large-scale AI data center being developed near Compass Lake and the Econfina watershed area.

A discussion during a recent Jackson County Board of County Commissioners meeting has sparked growing public interest and concern after county officials revealed that a company has approached the county about a proposed project near the Bay County line along Highway 231 that could potentially involve an AI data processing center.