LOCAL LEADERS TODAY. RESIDENTS WERE AT THE MEETING TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS ON PROJECT TANGO, BUT ALL THE RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WERE ALL AGAINST THE DATA CENTER, CITING A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONCERNS. FOR THREE MINUTES, PALM BEACH COUNTY RESIDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD TO COUNTY OFFICIALS ON THE HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTER. RESIDENTS AT THE MEETING BROUGHT UP CONCERNS OF ENERGY, POWER AND WATER CONSUMPTION. WILL USE MILLIONS OF GALLONS JUST TO KEEP IT UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS HAS SHOWN THAT THE WATER USAGE RARELY DISCLOSED, AND OFTEN OCCURS IN REGIONS WHERE UNDERGROUND WATER AND GROUNDWATER SUPPLY ARE ALREADY UNDER STRAIN, SUCH AS ARDEN AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS. THE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE USED ARE NOT AS USER FRIENDLY AS IT SOUNDS. PREVIOUSLY, WE REPORTED DEVELOPER SAID THE HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTER IS ZONED AS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USE. ONE RESIDENT AT THE MEETING IS CALLING FOR A REZONING. THIS HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTER PROJECT NEEDS TO BE REZONED UNDER HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USE, AS WELL AS FUTURE AI DATA CENTER PROJECTS. BLESS YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT TRADITIONAL DATA CENTERS IN HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTERS ARE NOT THE SAME THING. I ASK THAT YOU DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO, AS IT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. RESIDENTS CONCERNS GREW MORE AS THE DEVELOPER FOR THE DATA CENTER RECENTLY EXPLAINED THE PROJECT IN MORE DEPTH. RESPONDING TO CONCERNS OF NOISE, PROXIMITY TO SADDLE VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE ART AND COMMUNITY, THERE ARE UNKNOWN HEALTH EFFECTS OF LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTER. REPORTS OF INABILITY TO SLEEP AND OR CONCENTRATION, DIZZINESS, NAUSEA AND IN SOME CASES, INCREASED SEIZURES AND CARDIAC EVENTS. ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF ONE OF THESE OF THIS ON OUR CHILDREN, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, OUR RESIDENTS? IF YOU LOOK UP THE DIFFERENT DATA CENTER CASES IN IN SOUTH KOREA, THERE’S MULTIPLE OF THEM THAT BURN FOR 22 HOURS, RELEASING SULFIDE GASES, WHICH CAUSE ASTHMA JUST WITH ONE BREATH. PALM BEACH COUNTY MAYOR SARAH BAXTER WAS NOT PRESENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT SHE RECENTLY RECUSED HERSELF FROM THE PROJECT TANGO VOTE, AS SHE PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO THE DEVELOPMENT. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY PROJECT TANGO COMMENTARY DURING THE MEETING. THE NEXT PROJECT TANGO HEARING IS NOW POSTPONED
Palm Beach County residents raise concerns over proposed AI data center
Updated: 7:56 PM EDT Apr 14, 2026
Palm Beach County residents spoke out against Project Tango, a proposed hyperscale artificial intelligence data center, during a county commissioners meeting, raising concerns about its impact on energy, water consumption, and zoning. Residents at the meeting expressed worries about the center’s energy, power, and water usage, which were heightened after the developer provided more detailed explanations about the project, addressing issues such as noise, proximity to Saddleview Elementary School, and the nearby Arden community. “It will use millions of gallons just to keep it up to operating temperature. Investigative reports have shown that the water usage is rarely disclosed and often occurs in regions where underground water and groundwater supply are already under strain, such as the Arden and the surrounding areas. The closed-loop systems that are proposed to be used were not as friendly as it sounds,” said Eric Powell, a Palm Beach County resident. “This hyperscale AI data center project needs to be rezoned under heavy industrial use, as well as future AI data center projects. I would like to reiterate that traditional data centers and hyperscale AI data centers are not the same thing. I ask that you do your due diligence and research the differences between the two, as it is an extremely important distinction,” said Rachel Smith, another Palm Beach County resident. County commissioners did not respond to any comments about Project Tango during the meeting. The next hearing on the project has been postponed to July 15.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —
Palm Beach County residents spoke out against Project Tango, a proposed hyperscale artificial intelligence data center, during a county commissioners meeting, raising concerns about its impact on energy, water consumption, and zoning.
Residents at the meeting expressed worries about the center’s energy, power, and water usage, which were heightened after the developer provided more detailed explanations about the project, addressing issues such as noise, proximity to Saddleview Elementary School, and the nearby Arden community.
“It will use millions of gallons just to keep it up to operating temperature. Investigative reports have shown that the water usage is rarely disclosed and often occurs in regions where underground water and groundwater supply are already under strain, such as the Arden and the surrounding areas. The closed-loop systems that are proposed to be used were not as friendly as it sounds,” said Eric Powell, a Palm Beach County resident.
“This hyperscale AI data center project needs to be rezoned under heavy industrial use, as well as future AI data center projects. I would like to reiterate that traditional data centers and hyperscale AI data centers are not the same thing. I ask that you do your due diligence and research the differences between the two, as it is an extremely important distinction,” said Rachel Smith, another Palm Beach County resident.
County commissioners did not respond to any comments about Project Tango during the meeting. The next hearing on the project has been postponed to July 15.