People attending the DeSoto County Commission meeting Tuesday raise their arms in support of a public commenter who opposed the proposed data center project. | Photo by Alice Herman, Suncoast Searchlight
DeSoto approves data center moratorium, but controversial project can advance
DeSoto County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers Tuesday, but it won’t apply to rezoning applications tied to an 800-plus-acre data center project proposed earlier this year.
The unanimous vote by four commissioners — the fifth recused himself — follows months of intense public opposition to a proposed data center project, which the county had supported and sought to fast-track through a special economic program in hopes it would generate millions in tax revenue.
In March, the county approved rezoning 34 acres at a decommissioned power plant for DCIP Group, the company behind the proposed project. DCIP Group has said it would build its first facility there and has since applied to rezone more than 800 additional acres. Ultimately, the company said it hopes to build more than a dozen data centers across 1,300 acres.
During a July 7 meeting, the county’s Planning Commission recommended county commissioners include those rezoning applications in an eventual data center moratorium. It also recommended extending the moratorium for a second year.
The photo of the anti data center signs is of Deborah Lodrini, a resident who has opposed the data center development. | Photo by Alice Herman, Suncoast Searchlight
During Tuesday’s discussion, county commissioners instead agreed to follow their attorney’s recommendation to limit the moratorium to one year and exclude the pending applications, meaning DCIP Group’s rezoning bid can move forward.
Commissioner Elton Langford said he would consider extending the moratorium later if needed.
“If we ain’t got our ducks in a row at the end of that year,” Langford said, “we can extend it.”
DCIP Group’s efforts have spurred local backlash, with residents packing board meetings to oppose the project. Community members have raised concerns about the possible environmental impacts, pointing to noise and emissions associated with other hyperscale gas-powered data center projects across the country. They also expressed worries about the project’s water use.
On its website, DCIP Group says that it will use “state-of-the-art acoustic modeling” to keep noise down and prioritize using reclaimed water in its operations. In a previous interview with Suncoast Searchlight, company CEO Jon Brown said he anticipated the project would use as little as zero gallons of water or as much as 3 million a day.
Some residents said a one-year moratorium would not go far enough.
“Ban it, period,” Arcadia resident Wendy Midgett said in an interview with Suncoast Searchlight. “There’s just not enough research … there needs to be a stop.”
Ed Johnson, who has lobbied commissioners to adopt a moratorium, said during the meeting he would support a two-year moratorium on data centers.
“Revising the [comprehensive] plan is a complicated, time-consuming, multi-step process,” Johnson said, referring to the county’s document governing development. “Take the time to do it right.”
A proposed data center project in DeSoto County would be located on the site of a decommissioned power plant. | Photo by Alice Herman, Suncoast Searchlight
Commissioner J.C. Deriso said commissioners had listened to community members and lamented how the data center issue had, in his view, cost the commission trust.
“We need to realize that in this room, we’re not enemies against each other,” Deriso said.
As it stands, DeSoto County does not have local regulations for data centers. The moratorium will allow the county to consider regulatory measures before accepting future data center applications.
The state passed a law earlier this year that seeks to prevent data centers from shifting the cost of utilities onto residential ratepayers in light of reports showing how data centers have increased electric bills for local residents.
The law also allows developers to request a temporary exemption from Florida’s public records law for their initial plans and intentions, keeping them confidential for up to 12 months.
Suncoast Searchlight’s reporting on DCIP Group’s DeSoto County data center proposal, which was published before the law’s passage, relied heavily on public records access.
Jon Brown, CEO of DCIP Group, spoke at a Senate committee meeting in January about a new bill regulating data centers | Screengrab from the Florida Channel
Amid the artificial intelligence boom, developers have submitted a wave of applications for data centers across Florida, with some projects — like the one in DeSoto — seeking to go bigger by relying on natural gas instead of the electric grid for power.
Community backlash has been widespread, with counties and municipalities across the state passing moratoriums on data center applications and scuttling development plans. Sarasota County voted to pass a one-year data center moratorium earlier this month, and on Tuesday, Manatee County commissioners directed county staff to look into a moratorium there, too.
The issue could play a role in the governor’s race this year, as Republican frontrunner U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ campaign has garnered millions of dollars in support from the AI industry.
In DeSoto County, residents say their fight isn’t over as long as the county is considering DCIP Group’s rezoning applications.
Jesus Renzoli, who attended this week’s commission meeting, said he would continue to speak out.
“It’s too much and it’s too big, and I think it doesn’t benefit us directly,” said Renzoli, who lives near the proposed development. “It benefits a few, but not the community itself.”
Alice Herman is an investigative/watchdog reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. Email her at alice@suncoastsearchlight.org.
