Walter Current - The Data Center Show (down)

https://floridadatacenters.org/#map

This past week, the Okaloosa County Commissioners held a regular meeting where the topic of data centers was a prime issue (see the link below). Following a rather contentious expression of opinions by members of the public, the Commissioners voted to not support a 12-month moratorium on possible considerations of a data center, possibly located at the Shoal River Industrial Park. Though no data center has actually been proposed, "the county instead reverts to the direction the board gave at its previous meeting: staff is to return in 60 days with an outline of proposed data center regulations."

It was quite evident from the public opinions that most are opposed to any data center and desired an outright ban in our county. Many cited the excess demands on water and power resources commonly associated with datacenters. This would include the expenditures of additional fuel sources to generate the electricity (…

To add just a bit more to this discussion, here's what a quick Google Search revealed (and, yes, it is an AI-enabled response via a datacenter I'm sure...):

The Florida Aquifer System is currently under severe stress, running a significant water deficit and facing strict water shortage orders across central and northern regions due to cumulative rainfall deficits and heavy population-driven demands.

Current Aquifer Conditions

• Drought and Deficits: Persistent below-average rainfall over the past year has left large parts of Central and Northeast Florida in an aquifer "deficit," triggering Modified Phase II and Phase III water shortage restrictions.

• Low Water Levels: Monitoring wells in critical regions like the Upper Floridan Aquifer have experienced drops into low percentiles, reducing spring flows (such as at Silver Springs).

• Development Pressures: Rapid urbanization—exemplified by massive expansions in Central Florida and retirement developments like The Villages—combined with agricultural needs, continues to outpace slow natural recharge rates. 

When people hear the words "data center," they tend to picture computers, servers, and artificial intelligence.

But those buildings do not exist in a cloud.

They exist on land. They require electricity. Depending on their design, cooling technology and operating practices, they may require water. And when a community is considering large new industrial users, one of the first questions should be remarkably simple:

Where will the water come from?

That is an especially important question if we are talking about development in north Okaloosa County.

Under Our Feet: The Floridan Aquifer System