Data Centers in South Florida: What's Here, What's Proposed, and the New Rules

Why Data Centers Matter to AI

Every AI tool you use runs in a data center — buildings full of servers that need enormous, reliable power, cooling, and network connections. As AI demand grows, so does pressure to build bigger facilities, and Florida is now part of that national debate about where they go and who pays for the power and water they use.

Miami: The Internet Gateway to Latin America

South Florida already hosts one of the most important network facilities in the hemisphere. Equinix's MI1 — the NAP of the Americas in downtown Miami — is a major landing point for subsea cables and is described as the largest peering location in Miami, where Latin American networks interconnect. That connectivity is a big reason Miami matters for cloud and AI traffic between the U.S. and Latin America.

Proposed AI Campuses — and Local Pushback

Palm Beach County: a proposal known as Project Tango sought to expand the Central Park Commerce Center entitlement for a hyperscale AI data center campus in the western county. After the zoning commission recommended denial, county commissioners denied it 5–1 in July 2026 following a 12-hour hearing, with residents raising concerns about noise, water use, and a nearby elementary school. The county also passed a moratorium on AI data centers.

Treasure Coast and Martin County: Indiantown's council approved FPL's Tesoro Groves planned unit development in April 2026; FPL said a data center could be built there but that approval doesn't mean one will be. A separate large proposal in the area was withdrawn. In St. Lucie County, the planning and zoning board voted against recommending a rezoning for a data center on a 1,200-acre agricultural parcel, and Indian River County planners determined that hyperscale data centers can't currently be permitted anywhere in that county.

The New State Law: SB 484

Florida's SB 484, signed in May 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, sets new rules for very large data centers. Utilities must make data centers with 50 megawatts or more of peak load cover their own service costs rather than passing them to other customers; projects using at least 100,000 gallons of water a day face additional permitting; and the law addresses local land-use authority and public disclosure. It passed with large bipartisan margins.

How FPL Is Handling Big New Loads

Florida Power & Light's new large-load rates require data centers to pay for any new generation they need, with take-or-pay demand charges, minimum 20-year contracts, collateral, minimum bills, and exit fees. In early 2026, FPL's president said large-scale data centers "haven't quite made it to Florida yet" — the protections are designed for when they do.

What to Watch

Expect continued debate over where large AI facilities belong, how much water and power they use, and what they give back in jobs and tax base. If you care how this plays out in your community, county planning and zoning meetings are where these decisions get made — and they're open to the public.