FORT MEADE, Fla. — For weeks, people in Fort Meade have been speaking out about a proposed massive data center in their community, raising concerns about how much water and electricity it could use.
Now, a bill passed by the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee could affect projects like the one proposed in Polk County.
WATCH: Fort Meade community members encourage DeSantis to sign data center bill
The legislation creates new rules for large-scale data centers across the state. Among other provisions, it aims to protect residential electric customers from being charged for the massive power demands those facilities can place on the grid.
“They’re city-sized in terms of the amount of electricity they need,” said Christina Reichert, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, which has been working with the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida and community members in Fort Meade.
The bill would also add new oversight when companies request large amounts of water.
“No local government can approve a water consumption permit for a data center — a large-scale data center — unless they can prove that it’s not going to be harmful to their water resources,” Reichert explained.
The developer behind the Fort Meade proposal has said the facility would use less water than some other large-scale data centers. Still, some in the community say they remain concerned about the potential impact.
The measure would also require a public hearing before approving large water permits and order a statewide study on the impacts of large-scale data centers, including their effects on energy use, water resources, and local communities. Additionally, it would keep zoning and land-use control with local governments.
“I really hope that we can get some guardrails in place and maybe, possibly, get this thing shut down in our town,” said Scott Lynch, who lives in Fort Meade.
Another community member, Raul Alfonso, said the bill doesn’t solve all of the concerns people have raised, but he still sees it as progress.
“It’s a step in the right direction at least,” Alfonso said.
Whether the legislation would affect the Fort Meade project could depend on when, or if, the city approves the data center.
The bill is now heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. The governor has previously voiced support for the legislation, and community members in Fort Meade say they hope he signs it.
Meanwhile, the Fort Meade City Commission could vote on the proposed data center as soon as late March or early April.
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