By Angela Rotunda Otero
I’ve spent the last several days researching the proposed data centers coming to Polk County and other parts of Florida.
This isn’t about being anti-technology. Most of us use the internet, cloud services, and AI every day. The question is whether these projects are being planned in a way that protects Florida’s future.
Many large data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and, depending on their cooling systems, can use significant amounts of water.
Florida’s aquifers, springs, lakes, wetlands, and waterways are some of our most valuable resources. Once they’re damaged, restoring them can be difficult, expensive, or impossible.
The questions I believe we should be asking are:
How much water will these facilities use?
Where will that water come from?
What happens during drought conditions?
What are the long-term impacts on our aquifers, springs, lakes, and wetlands?
How much power will be required?
How many permanent local jobs will be created once construction is complete?
What protections and safeguards will be required?
This isn’t just a Polk County issue. The decisions being made today could affect communities throughout Florida for generations.
We don’t get a second Floridan Aquifer.
We don’t get replacement springs.
We don’t get replacement ecosystems.
Whether you support these projects or oppose them, I believe the public deserves transparency, honest answers, and a seat at the table before major decisions are made.
Florida isn’t just where we live.
It’s what we’re leaving to our children and grandchildren.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Attend local commission and council meetings.
Ask questions respectfully and demand clear answers.
Contact elected officials and share your concerns.
Read the proposals for yourself.
Share information with friends and neighbors.
Stay engaged even when the headlines fade.
The people who show up are often the people who shape the future.
Protect Polk County. Protect Florida.