A proposal to build what would be Florida's first AI data center poses significant risks to the state's water supply and economy, Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly said in a sharply worded letter on Friday.
The letter from a Florida government agency echoes Gov. Ron DeSantis's opposition to artificial intelligence.
The pitch to construct a data center on about 1,300 acres in rural Polk County is "fundamentally flawed," said the letter addressed to the the Fort Meade City Commission, which unanimously approved the idea last week despite the protests of residents.
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"It is readily clear that the project — if ultimately permitted and constructed — presents significant risks to Central Florida’s energy capacity, water resources, and transportation infrastructure," Kelly wrote.
"Given the valid concerns that have been conveyed by your constituents and the Commission’s decision to move forward regardless, I write to you in the spirit of transparency as it relates to the potential impacts the project presents on Florida’s natural resources, transportation infrastructure, economy, and way of life."
An operator for the data center has not yet been disclosed, Kelly said.
"Further, the development will require extensive commitments of natural resources including water and energy, all of which need to be adequately and transparently addressed in the Sunshine to preserve the quality of life in the community and regain trust from your citizenry."
The projected water use is "woefully underestimated." And the developer's pitch to the city commission "plainly misrepresents" how much water and energy is needed to support the project, Kelly added.
The developer, Stonebridge, initially said it would need about 140,000 gallons a day to operate the data center.
Large amounts of water are typically needed to cool computer systems that run day and night.
Then, Stonebridge said it needs 50,000 gallons a day, just for servicing everyday operations, like for the bathrooms or break rooms.
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Kelly's letter described 50,000 gallons per day as the "minimum demand."
"Based on the [Commerce] Department’s preliminary review, the projected demand for potable water appears woefully underestimated for a 4,400,000 ft2 data center," he wrote.
Permits for the data center, called "Project Stonebridge," still need to be obtained from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD).
A letter from SWFMD to the City of Fort Meade on April 14 pointed out that projected demand for water needed to be included in the permit, and "is not included." That amount must be approved by SWFMD's governing board at a publicly noticed meeting in the future.
