Anchor: Claire Galt Reporter: Eric Lovelace
•7/28/2026
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK) — Collier and DeSoto County leaders are set to make data center development decisions on Tuesday.
Both counties are considering either implementing temporary bans or changing regulations for data center projects.
Collier County commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. to discuss placing a moratorium on new data center projects. The county said it doesn't have clear regulations addressing issues raised by data centers, so officials want to study them.
The debate has been heated since it started. Neighbors have shown up in full force to meetings to push back against data center development.
The county has listed several concerns about data centers, including electricity demand, water use, wastewater systems and stormwater management.
"What studies have been conducted to determine the impact of this project on our regional groundwater levels, freshwater availability and saltwater intrusion risk?" Alexandria Reed, a lifelong resident, said.
According to the project's builder, there are potential upsides to the data center. The facility would use reclaimed water from the sewage system, initially generate 25 new jobs, and bring an estimated $30 million in tax revenue. Big data centers also pay their own utilities.
John Brown, CEO of DCIP, says the existing infrastructure at the former power plant would enable a seamless transition to convert the site into a fully functioning data center.
"Being a former power plant and having all the infrastructure to re-energize that power plant now allows us to be behind the meter, where we don't stress the grid, we don't impact the ratepayers," Brown said.
The moratorium would not affect the one data center already approved. As for the two pending projects, they can still be approved or denied.
