A rural Florida county is moving to hit pause on new data center proposals after residents packed a public meeting and raised concerns about water demand, noise, and the scale of a planned gas-powered campus.
The proposed one-year freeze would give DeSoto County more time to decide whether these projects fit into the community's future — and whether the promised economic benefits outweigh the risks residents say they could be left to face.
What happened?
After nearly three hours of discussion on Tuesday, June 23, DeSoto County commissioners told the county attorney to draft a one-year moratorium on new data center applications, Suncoast Searchlight reported. The participating commissioners unanimously backed that direction, while one commissioner recused himself.
Any moratorium under consideration would leave existing applications untouched, Suncoast Searchlight reported, including a rezoning request connected to DCIP Group's planned hyperscale data center complex. The project could cover more than 800 acres, and earlier plans said the buildout might extend to 1,300 acres at a retired power plant site.
Questions in the community appeared to grow after DCIP Group CEO Jon Brown described a broad range for the project's daily water needs, saying it could use anywhere from zero to 3 million gallons. He also said the number of gas turbines could shift depending on the design of the project's microgrid.
"You'll have batteries that also support those turbines, and it's a full, very complicated design for a micro grid," he said.
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Residents who opposed the project told commissioners they still lack the basic information needed to fully assess the development's impact.
Why does it matter?
Residents who spoke at the meeting questioned whether local water supplies could be strained by a massive, energy-intensive complex before officials have clear answers.
Arcadia resident Asha Stalnaker summed up that concern directly: "Residents should not be asked to accept unknown water impacts based on future promises."
What's being done?
Before any moratorium could take effect, commissioners would still need to vote again. For now, they have asked the county attorney to prepare the ordinance language.
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Commissioners had previously welcomed the concept, but several said Tuesday that they had been listening closely to residents and studying the issue more carefully.
"I can't find anybody that wants this," said Arcadia pastor Nathan Headrick.
Commissioner Elton Langford added, "We're not a bunch of bought and paid for puppets."
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