Fort Meade commissioners approve agreement to build hyperscale data center

Fort Meade, Florida commissioners have unanimously approved an agreement with Stonebridge, a Maryland-based developer, to bring a hyperscale data center to the rural Polk County city. The vote on Tuesday, which secured the agreement for a site north of the city along U.S. 17, came despite significant public opposition. Residents packed the meeting, voicing fears that the project would excessively consume power and water, generate disruptive noise and vibration, and erode the town's character. Concerns were also raised about the economic benefits, with one resident noting that modern data centers generate few permanent local jobs. Doug Firstenberg, founding principal of Stonebridge, attempted to alleviate these fears, explaining that the facility would use a closed-loop system to reduce water consumption to 50,000 gallons per day, significantly less than the typical 1 million gallons daily for such centers. He also disclosed that Stonebridge would provide the city with $300,000 to potentially acquire additional water usage from the county. Firstenberg also addressed electricity concerns, stating that the 1.2-gigawatt facility would not cause rate increases for Duke Energy customers, as the company would bear the costs for any necessary line extensions. Despite his explanations, Firstenberg acknowledged the passionate opposition, attributing it largely to