A massive data center project that once promised to turn former citrus groves outside Fort Pierce into one of the country’s biggest server campuses has quietly hit pause. The developer has pulled its land-use application, according to county officials, putting the plan on ice while Florida lawmakers push forward bills that would tighten the rules on where hyperscale AI data centers can go, how transparent they must be and who pays for the utility upgrades they require.
St. Lucie County leaders say the developer behind the proposed Sentinel Grove Technology Park wants to see what comes out of Tallahassee before deciding whether to move ahead. The timing is hard to ignore, with new legislation marching through the Senate that could reshape the economics and politics of building giant, power-hungry facilities in Florida.
The Sentinel Grove project, also described in filings as Project Jarvis, was pitched for roughly 1,200 acres and notices allowed for up to 15 million square feet of development. Another proposed data center, known as Project Tango, would cover about 1.8 million square feet in western Palm Beach County and, based on county filings, could use roughly 1.7 million gallons of water each month. That prospect has rattled conservationists and nearby residents, as reported by WPTV.
State Lawmakers Tighten Rules For Hyperscale Sites
Two Senate measures have quickly changed the outlook for large data centers in Florida. CS/SB 482, filed in December and labeled the “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights,” folds in consumer and parental protections around AI along with new contracting and land-use limits. CS/CS/SB 484, the “Data Centers” bill, would set minimum large-load tariff requirements, require certain economic development disclosures and prohibit some nondisclosure agreements for projects, according to the Florida Senate bill pages…