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Proposed data center and water problems
A proposed data center project in Haines City is stalled because the fast-growing city does not have enough water to supply the facility. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
HAINES CITY, Fla. - A proposed data center project in Haines City has been stalled because the fast-growing city does not have enough water to supply the facility.
Haines City water constraints
What we know:
Cielo Digital Infrastructure, a Texas-based developer, inquired about utility services for a data center proposed at Marion Road and State Road 544-East. The facility would use 150,000 gallons of water per day, but the project cannot move forward because the city is out of water capacity.
Courtesy: Bing.com
Haines City has experienced massive growth over the last several years. Because of this rapid expansion, city officials have been asking the Southwest Florida Water Management District for permission to use more water since 2022.
"There's a lot of construction everywhere. There are new developments — housing developments, businesses, shopping centers. From what I see, it's only going to get bigger, you know?" Jule Cortez, an employee at Jaimes Western Wear, said.
Stalled data center plans
What we don't know:
An interim city manager said that officials have not received any formal development agreements, applications, site plans, or zoning requests for the project. It remains unclear if the developer will adjust the plan or wait for local utility capacities to change.
Local business community reactions
What they're saying:
Some community members question the utility of the facility given the current environmental resource strains. They feel adding a high-water-use facility would worsen existing local issues.
"It still might give people jobs; it'll be good for that. I could see why it may be good in that way, but honestly, it's just taking up space for no reason. Like you said, the water — if there's not enough water, why are you trying to make it worse? It's kind of pointless in my opinion," Cortez said.
Water permit modification hurdles
What's next:
The city added the data center request to its pending water use permit modification. However, the state must approve that modification separately before any construction can potentially begin.
Even if the state approves the water permit modification, Cielo Digital Infrastructure faces numerous remaining challenges. The company must still clear zoning and environmental checks before any building can start.
FOX 13 reached out to Cielo Digital Infrastructure for comment on the pending project. The developer has not yet responded to the request.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Haines City spokesperson and an interim city manager, who explained the current utility constraints and lack of formal applications, as well as local business employee Jule Cortez and developer Cielo Digital Infrastructure.