AI data center

PBA Holdings’ 200,000 square feet of data center space would grow to nearly 700,000 square feet under approval granted Oct. 7.

Secret meetings, messy voting procedures and an undisclosed project beneficiary: transparency concerns about a controversial artificial intelligence data center project in western Palm Beach County unnerved opponents. A look back at the land's complicated history tells where the trust gap came from.

Both of Florida’s gubernatorial candidates spoke Sept. 23 at WLRN’s Sunshine Economy Summit — possibly the closest they will get to appearing on the same stage this election cycle.

Grassroots opposition to AI infrastructure because of its huge demand on local water supplies and the electrical grid had been growing more pointed since early this year, turning into an issue David Jolly and the Florida Democratic Party are using to attack Republican Byron Donalds in the Florida gubernatorial race.

Gubernatorial nominee David Jolly cited a July University of North Florida poll that found that 68% of Floridians surveyed would oppose new data center construction in their communities.

Palm Beach County one step closer to officially approving a one-year moratorium on AI data centers, which gives county staff time to draft stricter land-use standards.

One of the country’s largest energy holding companies is probing just how closely Florida will regulate data centers and the massive costs they could pass down to electric customers, in a key first test of what advocates have called a “historic” consumer protection law.

Nondisclosure agreements covered up negotiations between a tech company and several local and state officials, surprising local residents. It's a tactic used around the country in data center deals.

Potential data centers have sparked the kinds of debates that have raged in cities and towns across the country. And those debates often cut across ideological lines. Some see job opportunities that can help the U.S. compete with China in technology. Others worry about losing farmland and the high amounts of electricity and water needed to power these centers. he debate has united left-leaning environmentalists and conservative farmers.

The way a new Florida law is written doesn’t guarantee consumers’ utility rates won’t go up because of new data centers, energy policy experts said.

As early voting begins ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election, there has been a shadowy concerted effort that likely prevents most would-be voters from accessing articles critical of Michael Carbonara before they head to the polls. Carbonara is a Republican candidate connected to the data center industry who is running for Florida's 22nd District, which includes parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Earlier this month, Palm Beach County commissioners voted 5-1 to slam the brakes on the controversial Project Tango AI data center proposal – but tech companies aren’t backing away, and more proposals for large-scale data center projects are likely to follow. Experts say the latest vote was a cautionary tale