SWFL.io - Local NewsReporter: Bridget Bruchalski
•6/23/2026
DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. — A proposed artificial intelligence data center in DeSoto County is raising questions from residents about electricity demand, air quality and how the project could affect the surrounding community.
While developers say the facility would generate most of its own electricity by repurposing a former natural gas power plant on the property, some neighbors and environmental advocates remain concerned about emissions, future energy needs and the project's overall environmental footprint.
The company behind the proposal, DCIP, has not disclosed how much electricity the campus would ultimately require, saying construction would occur in phases.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a single large AI-focused data center can consume as much electricity as roughly 100,000 homes at any given time, depending on its size and computing demand.
Residents interviewed by WINK News said the project's energy needs are among their biggest concerns.
"It's going to use a lot of energy," Arcadia resident Rodney Amick said.
Jeff Moyer questioned whether existing infrastructure could support a project of that scale.
"Do they have that excess capacity to run that without running the rates up even further?" Moyer said.
Others worry that electric customers could ultimately shoulder the cost.
"I've heard that communities are impacted as far as fees — their electricity bills are higher," said Doug Heavener, owner of Dragon's Den Books in Arcadia. "If that's the case, I'm not really for it."
Not everyone opposes the proposal.
Retired Arcadia farmer Lynn Steward said redeveloping the long-idled property makes sense.
"It's a great opportunity for the use of that land," Steward said. "It has sat idle for a long time, and if they need power to run it, that's super."
Dr. Huzefa Kagdi, Dean of Florida Gulf Coast University's College of Engineering, said artificial intelligence is rapidly increasing demand for data centers as AI tools become more common in health care, finance, education, business and consumer applications.
Unlike traditional data centers that primarily relied on central processing units, or CPUs, AI facilities depend heavily on graphics processing units, known as GPUs.
Kagdi said GPUs require roughly 10 times more electricity than traditional CPU-based systems.
That increased power demand also creates significantly more heat.
As electricity flows through computer chips, resistance naturally generates heat. Because AI servers are packed much more densely than traditional servers, they require substantially larger cooling systems to keep equipment operating safely.
Older facilities relied mainly on air cooling, but today's AI centers often require industrial-scale fans to move much larger volumes of air at higher speeds.
Kagdi said those systems can release large amounts of heat outdoors, sometimes creating localized warming, commonly referred to as a "heat island" effect.
Newer cooling technologies, including direct-to-chip liquid cooling and immersion cooling, can reduce water use and improve efficiency, although Kagdi said they often require even more electrical power.
He said it's also important to evaluate how the electricity powering a data center is produced because power generation itself can consume significant amounts of water.
DCIP spokeswoman Erica Robinson said the company understands residents have questions and wants community feedback throughout the process.
"We want our neighbors to know that we are listening, and we do want to hear what their concerns are," Robinson said.
She said the campus would be built in phases rather than operating at full capacity immediately.
"The bulk of the power is generated on site behind the grid," Robinson said.
In presentations submitted to county leaders, DCIP said it plans to generate most of the facility's electricity on-site by redeveloping the former natural gas power plant. The company also says it is evaluating newer technologies, including fuel cells, as part of its long-term energy strategy.
DCIP says it will continue working with the utility grid but does not expect the project to increase electric rates for DeSoto County residents or businesses, citing Florida regulations designed to prevent those costs from being passed on to customers.
Andy Mele, Peace River Waterkeeper, said generating electricity on-site means combustion emissions remain a significant concern.
"They're going to be generating, and that involves combustion, and combustion involves pollution," Mele said.
He said the company should clearly explain how it plans to control emissions before construction moves forward.
"They damn well better show us how they're going to keep the air clean," Mele said.
Mele said he is concerned about carbon dioxide emissions as well as particulate pollution that can affect public health.
He also said some localized warming near the facility is possible because cooling systems often rely on large industrial fans, although he does not expect a significant regional heat island effect.
"There are too many questions that need to be asked," Mele said, pointing to unanswered concerns about air pollution, water use, noise and long-term emissions.
Arcadia resident Megan Markey shares those concerns, particularly because schools are located nearby.
"The air pollution can cause a lot of toxins in the air," Markey said. "We have the high school, middle school and, in a few years, an elementary school less than a mile away."
Others, including Amick, believe the project's energy production is unlikely to significantly affect nearby residents.
"How they generate that energy is up to them, but I don't think it's really going to affect us much," he said.
The proposed data center remains under environmental review, and the company has not announced a final estimate for the facility's electricity demand.
Officials say additional studies and public discussions are expected before the project moves forward.