DeSoto County Considers Pause on Massive Data Center Project

A June 23 vote on a moratorium could halt or delay a massive industrial project that county leaders view as a potential economic lifeline but which residents fear may negatively impact local water and infrastructure.

• •Commissioners will vote on a temporary moratorium on data center applications at the June 23 meeting.
• •The proposed data center project has expanded from an initial 34 acres to over 800 acres.
• •Developers claim the project could generate up to 4 gigawatts of electricity using natural gas turbines.
• •County staff emails indicate the review process was intentionally accelerated to meet board expectations.
• •The county interpreted a growth plan restriction against rezoning agricultural land for power plants as inapplicable because the project is a private entity, not a public utility.
• •The project's power generation was classified as an 'ancillary' use rather than a primary use.
• •DeSoto County has a 22% poverty rate and has seen a 90% drop in citrus production over the last decade.
• •Developers estimate water usage could range from zero to 3 million gallons per day depending on final design.
• •Other Florida jurisdictions, including Pasco, Nassau, Citrus, and Lakeland, have taken steps to block or regulate new data centers.