Fort Meade leaders to vote on data center proposal

Commissioners in Fort Meade, Florida, are scheduled to vote on an agreement with developer Stonebridge for a large-scale data center project in Polk County. The proposal, which follows Polk County's approval of over $100 million in county tax breaks for Stonebridge, promises substantial potential tax revenue for the city. While the eventual tenants of the data center, which could be leased by major tech companies, remain unknown, the facility is projected to be built north of Fort Meade. However, the plan has generated significant community concerns. Residents are worried about the immense power demands of the data center, estimated at up to 1.2 gigawatts—enough to power a million homes—and its potential impact on local utility bills. Furthermore, water consumption is a major issue, as data centers are known to use vast amounts of water, a precious resource in Florida. Stonebridge has addressed these concerns, stating they are working on a tariff with Duke Energy to prevent customer bills from being affected by their power needs. The developer also claims this specific data center would utilize a "closed loop system," significantly reducing water usage by about 75% compared to traditional data centers. 10 Tampa Bay News reporter Chris Hurst is scheduled to interview the principal at Stonebridge, intending to pose the public's long-standing questions regarding these issues.