Petition to stop data center in Okeechobee reaches over 1,000 signatures

A local campaign led by Wyatt Deihl has gathered over 1,000 signatures on a petition opposing the Okee-One data center project in Okeechobee, Florida. Residents express significant concerns regarding the data center's potential impact on water consumption, strain on energy infrastructure, public health, and the erosion of the area's rural character. Organizers are urging state leaders to heed these objections. Despite the growing opposition, demolition for the Okee-One data center is scheduled to commence in March at the former Boys School property. This update was provided by Andrew Treadwell, Associate Vice President of Government and Community Relations at Indian River State College (IRSC), during a February 26 Okeechobee County Commission meeting. IRSC acquired the property in 2023, a priority for the Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation since 2021. Governor Ron DeSantis awarded IRSC $1.5 million in Rural Infrastructure Funds in December 2024 for site preparation, with additional funding anticipated from the Florida Legislature or private investors. Governor DeSantis has publicly acknowledged the public's pushback against data centers, specifically addressing their potential to increase electricity prices if demand outpaces supply. In December 2024, he proposed a Citizen Bill of Rights for Artificial Intelligence, which includes language within Senate Bill (SB) 484 designed to prevent utilities from passing the costs of hyperscale data center development onto residential ratepayers. However, Anna Haensch, an associate research professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that the bill's implementation, overseen by the Public Service Commission (PSC), could still offer utilities flexibility to prioritize data center needs over those of ratepayers. Local residents are actively organizing to attend the next Board of County Commissioners meeting on April 9, 2026, at the Okeechobee County Historic Courthouse. There, they plan to provide public comment and share personal testimonies, advocating for responsible, evidence-based growth that safeguards local resources and genuinely benefits the community.