FORT MEADE, Fla. — Just days after Fort Meade leaders approved a controversial data center agreement, the state is raising serious concerns about the project’s future and warning it faces significant unanswered questions about water, power, infrastructure, and transparency.
In a letter sent to Mayor Jaret Landon Williams, Florida Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly cautioned that the proposed project, a 4.4 million-square-foot hyperscale data center campus northwest of downtown, is far from ready to move forward.
"Upon review, it is readily clear that the project presents significant risks to Central Florida’s energy capacity, water resources, and transportation infrastructure," Kelly wrote in the letter.
The Fort Meade City Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a development agreement tied to the project. They advanced the proposal despite hours of public opposition, much of it centered on water use and long-term impacts.
City leaders emphasized that the vote does not guarantee the project will be built. The agreement is contingent on the developer securing multiple state and regional permits. including approval from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
But in his letter, Kelly suggested the project may be much further from that point than it has been presented.
“Critical information has not been provided to equip regulators with the information necessary to make informed permitting decisions,” he wrote.
Concerns over water, power, and infrastructure
Among the state’s biggest concerns is water usage.
The developer has said the project would require about 50,000 gallons of potable water per day, with additional water for operations reused through a closed-loop system.
But the state says that figure appears too low for a facility of that size.
“Based on the Department’s preliminary review, the projected demand for potable water appears woefully underestimated,” Kelly wrote.
The project also sits within the Central Florida Water Initiative planning area, where water availability is already closely managed, and additional withdrawals may face restrictions.
Energy demand is another major question.
The state says there is no clear plan yet for how the massive power needs of a hyperscale data center would be met or who would ultimately bear the cost.
Transparency and process questioned
Kelly also raised concerns about how the project has been presented to the public and suggested a lack of transparency in key areas.
“An accounting of pros and cons for the community should be honest, publicly accessible, and transparent,” he wrote.
In one of the letter’s sharpest criticisms, Kelly suggested the project is being pushed forward in reverse, with approvals coming before the groundwork is fully in place, effectively pressuring regulators to sign off.
Jobs and incentives under scrutiny
The letter also challenges some of the project’s projected benefits.
Developers have said the data center could bring more than 450 jobs to the area, but the state says that number is likely overstated, since hyperscale data centers typically rely on relatively small local workforces.
Kelly also disputed claims about a $10 million payment to the city, writing it is not new revenue but rather an advance on property taxes tied to future credits.
Major hurdles still ahead
In addition to water and power concerns, the state pointed to unresolved transportation issues, potential rail conflicts, and the need for multiple environmental permits, many of which have not yet been secured or, in some cases, formally applied for.
Despite the City Commission’s vote, Kelly emphasized the project is still far from being finalized.
In light of these deficiencies, your citizenry can breathe a sigh of relief that what passed [Tuesday] is far from “approved” and the hurdles ahead all but guarantee challenges that are indeed ripe for public input,” Kelly wrote.
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