tech
A Huge AI Datacenter is Planned Near Mar-a-Lago. The Everglades Could Pay the Price
Plans for hyperscale datacenter in Palm Beach county prompt concerns over water and electricity demands
TL;DR
- A 600MW hyperscale datacenter, Project Tango, is proposed on a 202-acre site in western Palm Beach county, near the Florida Everglades.
- Environmentalists warn the datacenter could worsen toxic bacterial blooms in the watershed due to waste heat increasing water temperatures.
- The datacenter's high electricity demand could strain the power grid and increase costs for households.
- Local residents and environmental groups are opposing the project, citing potential offsite impacts on water, air, and sound.
- Palm Beach county commissioners have denied an expansion of the proposed datacenter, but further applications remain.
- Developers claim a closed-loop cooling system will reduce water consumption, but heat dissipation remains a concern.