Governor DeSantis says proposed Fort Meade data center is ‘not a viable project’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed significant doubt regarding the future of a proposed hyperscale data center in Fort Meade, stating on Thursday that he does not believe the project is "viable." His comments followed the signing of a new law that introduces additional oversight and regulations for hyperscale data centers across Florida. The governor highlighted that the Fort Meade project faces outstanding issues it may not be able to satisfy, suggesting it was not thoroughly thought through. The proposed square-foot facility in Fort Meade has drawn considerable concern from community members regarding water usage, electricity demand, and infrastructure strain. The newly enacted law directly addresses these concerns by adding requirements for water use permits and provisions to prevent residential electricity customers from solely bearing the cost of massive infrastructure upgrades. Governor DeSantis emphasized his priority on water conservation and avoiding utility rate hikes, suggesting local governments should have the ultimate say in these decisions. While the governor did not explicitly state whether Fort Meade would revisit its approval, he made it clear that data center projects will face heavy scrutiny in Florida. The Fort Meade project, in particular, still requires approval from other regulatory bodies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Water Management District.