Palm Beach County commissioners voted down a proposed hyperscale AI data center in South Florida on Wednesday, marking the latest win in the broad local backlash to the rapid expansion of data centers near homes and communities.
Residents and homeowners across the U.S. worry that these facilities will raise water and electricity bills, give off a constant hum, and ruin the natural environment, without offering local economic benefits in return.
The rejected project was an expansion of a 200-acre development less than a mile west of Arden, a master-planned neighborhood of single-family subdivisions in the town of Loxahatchee.
The wider area, on the border of the Everglades, is known for its large mansions, horse riding academies, showgrounds, polo fields, and golf courses.
Arden resident and realtor Deborah Anderson said during the 12-hour livestreamed hearing Wednesday that she chose Arden because of its quality of life, open spaces, peaceful surroundings, family atmosphere, and the beautiful new Saddle View Elementary.
Up for debate was an application that the developer, PBA Holdings Inc., submitted in October to expand a 2 million-square-foot industrial development plan that had been approved in 2016.
The application would add 1.5 million square feet to the development, known as “Project Tango,” and expand its data-processing capacity.
Residents of Arden, where homes are listed for $500,000 to $1.3 million, organized against the plan on Facebook and through their homeowners association, focusing on the fact that Saddle View Elementary is roughly 1,500 feet away from the site.
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They were joined by communities across Palm Beach County worried it would set a precedent that would affect them as well.
As of June, there were 430 local Facebook groups opposing data centers across 40 states, up from 263 in April, according to a report from several activist groups.
Communities are concerned about the environmental, health, and economic impacts of the data centers, particularly the low-frequency noise they emit, the usage of electricity and water, the impact on the natural environment, and the resulting effect on property values.
Mansion owners in the area are already seeing the effects, with one resident saying her father has tried to sell his house in Arden but had to take a $250,000 cut and still can’t sell it.
Loxahatchee resident Christine DeSutter said, “We have a lot of homes for sale in our neighborhood and they can’t sell. I can’t say for sure it’s because of the data center, but they were selling quickly before this became a hot subject.”
There are more than 80 homes for sale in Arden, out of a total of roughly 2,000, according to Zillow.
An additional concern unique to West Palm Beach County is the impact of the noise and additional heat on livestock and horses in the vicinity, according to multiple residents.
“Animals can sense the vibration of the electricity,” one speaker said.
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Horses are already flight-or-fight animals, said a Loxahatchee resident, and this could put riders at risk.
Palm Beach County commissioners voted down the application.
The decision was made without prejudice, which means that the applicant can reapply.
New York became the first state to pass a statewide moratorium on new data center developments for one year, and they’ve been introduced in at least 10 other states.
In practice, this development means that residents in areas like Arden can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, as they won’t have to worry about the potential negative impacts of a data center on their community.
The denial is one of many successful campaigns across the country to stop or delay AI data center buildout.
Just last week, Northern Virginia’s long-contested “Digital Gateway” plans were finally scrapped, after the developers said they would not make any further legal appeals.
