The conversation surrounding AI data centers has reached a fever pitch in Florida.
Last December, tensions flared in Palm Beach County as commissioners met to discuss a controversial proposal for a massive facility near Wellington and Loxahatchee.
The proposal, known as “Project Tango,” remains in limbo as county staff prepare additional information before a zoning meeting scheduled for April 23.
And now, local residents, leading experts — and even the governor — are sounding the alarm about building AI data centers without sufficient local and statewide safeguards.
Governor DeSantis’ roundtable in December 2025 came days after President Trump signed an executive order seeking to limit state AI regulations, warning that fragmented rules across the country could hinder U.S. competitiveness with China.
Governor DeSantis disagreed. He proposed a state-wide “Citizen AI Bill of Rights” to protect communities from big tech expansion that doesn’t benefit local people. Formal legislation was filed as Senate Bill 482 (SB 482) last month by Senator Tom Leek.
READ MORE: Palm Beach County postpones 200-acre 'Project Tango' AI data center after community outrage
Gov DeSantis argued, among many provisions, against state subsidies for massive AI data centers to safeguard natural and public resources, such as water consumption.
“ You know, you should not have to pay one dime more in utility costs, water, power, any of this stuff because these are some of the most wealthy companies in the history of humanity,” DeSantis said during the roundtable discussion. “They should not be able to offload costs onto people that are already strapped with high costs in other areas.”
DeSantis acknowledged technology’s benefits, especially in fields like medical and defense research, but argued most AI growth is profit-driven, not a race with China.
He also emphasized that many local communities, across party lines, now oppose data center construction because he says it drains resources without clear community benefits.
“ I think a lot of these communities are not supporting the construction in their area when they go before these boards now, because they're thinking like, ‘okay, it's sucking a lot of resources, but is this really something that we need in our communities?’ he added.
“Is it something that's gonna benefit the community? Across party lines, I think people are saying no dice on that.”
“ It generates jobs. It attracts companies. We just have to be responsible and understand that this thing is not like that you can put it up in a rush.”AI expert Nick Tsinoremas.
A Palm Beach County community offers one example of the growing outrage. In December, after hours of heated comments from more than 50 residents, county commissioners unanimously postponed the proposed 200-acre Project Tango AI data center near Loxahatchee and Wellington in the western part of Palm Beach County.
Locals opposed the project over concerns of heavy water use, pollution risks, higher utility costs and anticipated noise.
Loxahatchee resident Corey Kanterman is among a group of residents who protested the project with a petition that reached just over 8,000 signatures to date.
“ No good comes of having an AI data center near you,” Kanterman told WLRN. “Put them in the location of least impact to the environment and people. This location is not it.”
Balancing tech innovation, economic growth with caution
Data centers are not inherently bad if built properly, says AI expert Nick Tsinoremas, director of the University of Miami’s Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing.
He told WLRN residents near the proposed Project Tango site in western Palm Beach County are understandably concerned about heavy water use and higher utility costs because data centers require extensive cooling and consume significant power.
“ So, the noise: it would be, to be honest with you, something that can be manageable and it depends on how close you are because there is insulation and so forth,” Tsinoremas said.
He said the “primary concern” is whether “the electricity grid is big enough to support this.”
“And of course in Florida we have hurricanes and so forth. What does it mean in terms of resilience?” he said.
Although there are arguments for staying ahead in tech innovation and economic growth through AI, data centers should not be built without proper guardrails and impact studies, he added.
“ It generates jobs. It attracts companies and so forth,” Tsinoremas said. “We just have to be responsible and understand that this thing is not like that you can put it up in a rush.”
