Proposed Auburndale data center draws scrutiny over power demand, water use and impact

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Hundreds packed a public workshop Tuesday night as Auburndale residents and local leaders challenged developers over the massive power and water demands of a proposed hyperscale data center.

Auburndale technology center proposal

The backstory:

The proposed data center would sit on 75 acres along Pace Road.

The project is part of the Florida High Tech Corridor, an innovation district established about 30 years ago.

In December 2023, Auburndale city commissioners approved a new land-use designation and rezoning for the property, allowing for industrial and certain technology uses, including a data center. Construction on the first two of four approved buildings began in early 2024.

The property was purchased in December 2025 by Pace Road DC Development LLC, the company behind the current proposal.

Some current commissioners acknowledged they were not in office when the original land-use and zoning decisions were made.

City Commissioner Sean Levy said, "I will not allow a rubber stamp process to jeopardize our resources, economy or the peace of our schools."

Power grid and water concerns

By the numbers:

One of the biggest questions surrounding the project is how much electricity it could require.

TECO would supply the power, with demand expected to start at 350 megawatts and eventually increase to 700 megawatts. That's enough electricity to power an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 homes.

Residents also raised questions about water use and noise.

Teresa Detweiler said, "People put their whole life savings into their property and homeownership, and you have a data center that's coming in and your property drops by 10 percent."

Polk County economic impact

The other side:

The developer estimates the facility would use more than 4,600 gallons of potable water per day, compared with as much as 10,000 gallons for a warehouse of the same size.

The company says it plans to use a closed-loop cooling system and limit noise at the property line to 50 decibels, about the level of a quiet office.

They are also projecting 292 permanent jobs and say the project will not receive financial incentives. The first two buildings are expected to be operational by 2029.

State utility cost regulations

What's next:

The developer submitted a building permit application and interior retrofit site plan on November 4. The city still needs to review those plans.

There are also questions about who will pay for the electricity and infrastructure needed to serve the data center.

Florida Senate Bill 484, signed into law this year, requires data centers to cover their electricity and infrastructure costs rather than pass them on to other ratepayers.

However, TECO still needs approval from the Florida Public Service Commission for its new tariff, which will govern how those costs are charged.