AI boom meets backlash in Florida over water and energy use

• Multiple Florida counties and cities are pausing or considering pausing the construction of artificial intelligence data centers.
• Concerns over the large amounts of water and electricity required by these facilities are driving the moratoriums.
• State legislation allows local governments to retain control over zoning and land use for data centers.

As proposed large artificial intelligence data centers stack up in Florida, more than a dozen counties and cities have imposed moratoriums or are considering hitting the pause button with growing concern about water and electricity use and environmental impact.

Most of these local jurisdictions are imposing one-year moratoriums on data center construction to allow time to gauge the impacts of these massive installations needed to power artificial intelligence uses.

“I want the guardrails around it and I want staff to be able to take the time to do that and not be rushed, because of something that comes in, and then we have to scramble to try to see how it can fit within our code,” said Clay County Commissioner Betsy Condon at a recent meeting where a one-year moratorium was adopted. “Because that’s when we make bad decisions.”

Big data centers use enormous amounts of water, electricity

According to several studies, a big data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day to cool the equipment, which would compete with other municipal uses like homes, businesses and agriculture.  Many aging water systems don’t have the capacity to handle that demand.

For example, a proposed data center in Haines City that would use about 150,000 gallons of water a day is stalled because the city does not have the capacity for that much use.

Florida counties and cities are adopting moratoriums on data centers

At least 14 Florida counties and cities have approved or are mulling over a pause in data center construction. Proposed centers in Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties were withdrawn amid pressure from local citizens.

In Desoto County, which is considering a moratorium, Commissioner Judy Schaefer acknowledged the power of people’s protests at a recent meeting.

“You’re the people. You’re my friends. This is my county. I don’t take this lightly,” Schaefer said. “It’s about what is right. I’m all for the moratorium.”

One Florida hyperscale data center has been approved in the Polk County town of Fort Meade. That $2.6 billion, 1,300-acre installation on former phosphate mine land still awaits water and wastewater permits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. It would be the state’s first hyperscale data center.

State officials have not set comprehensive rules for data centers

So far, the state has not enacted any broad rules for data centers. Legislation signed into law in May by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis does make clear that local authorities will retain zoning, permitting and land use powers. That bill also prevents utilities from passing data center costs on to residential consumers.

“These are much-needed protections for taxpayers and our natural resources,” DeSantis said at a bill signing ceremony.

The candidates for governor in this year’s election have different approaches.

On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins say the centers are inevitable but Florida needs clear rules on their construction and operation. Former House Speaker Paul Renner wants a statewide data center moratorium, while James Fishback wants no data centers in the state.

Democratic candidate David Jolly also opposes data centers in Florida, citing concerns such as environmental impact and privacy issues.

Florida already has more than 100 data centers operating but they are on a much smaller scale than these giant ones.

Here is where things stand in 16 counties and cities.

• Citrus County adopted a one-year moratorium on data centers and a developer dropped a zoning change request for a proposed center.
• Hernando County approved a one-year moratorium.
• Palm Beach County is considering a 3.7 million-square-foot proposal known as “Project Tango” that has encountered numerous delays amid strong local opposition with a vote currently set for July 15.
• Clay County voted for a one-year moratorium.
• Nassau County adopted a one-year moratorium.
• Leon County is considering a one-year moratorium.
• City of Lakeland is considering a moratorium, with more meetings scheduled for July 6 and July 20.
• Fort Meade approved a $2.6 billion data center that still awaits state water and wastewater permits. It would be the first hyperscale data center in Florida.
• The Panhandle counties of Escambia and Santa Rosa are both considering adoption of one-year moratoriums.
• DeSoto County officials are looking into a moratorium.
• City of Zephyrhills approved a one-year moratorium.
• Haines City proposed data center is stalled because the city does not have sufficient water capacity.
• Lake County will consider a one-year moratorium in a future vote.
• Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties both had data center projects withdrawn amid local opposition.
• Curt Anderson is the Policy and Politics Reporter for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY athttps://tallahassee.com/newsletters.