Fort Meade community members encourage DeSantis to sign data center bill

For weeks, people in Fort Meade, Florida have been speaking out about a proposed massive data center in their community, raising concerns about how much water and electricity the facility would use. The Florida Legislature has passed a bill that creates new rules for large-scale data centers across the state. The legislation aims to protect residential electric customers from being charged for the power demands of these facilities, and it requires new oversight when companies request large amounts of water. The bill would prevent local governments from approving water consumption permits for data centers unless they can prove it won't harm water resources, and it would mandate public hearings before approving large water permits. The measure would also order a statewide study on the impacts of large-scale data centers. The developer behind the Fort Meade proposal has said the facility would use less water than some other data centers, but community members remain concerned about the potential impact. The legislation could affect the Fort Meade project, depending on when or if the city approves it. Community members say they hope the governor signs the bill, which is now on his desk. Meanwhile, the Fort Meade City Commission is expected to vote on the data center proposal in late March or early April.