Proposed hyperscale datacenter near Everglades sparks fears of heat-driven algal blooms

A 600 MW hyperscale datacenter planned near the Everglades has drawn opposition over concerns that its waste heat and power use could worsen toxic algae blooms and threaten restoration efforts.

PBA Holdings, Inc. has proposed a 600 MW hyperscale datacenter, Project Tango, on a 202-acre parcel near the northern Everglades, close to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Environmental advocates, including Lake Worth Waterkeeper founder Reinaldo Diaz and Earthjustice attorney Christina Reichert, warn that waste heat from the facility could raise temperatures in adjacent waterways, intensifying cyanobacterial blooms that have already affected Lake Okeechobee and threaten local drinking water.

The datacenter’s power draw, comparable to half a million homes, may also require costly grid upgrades and raise residential electricity bills. While the developer promotes a closed-loop cooling system to curb water consumption, a health assessment admits the equipment could warm surrounding air by 1-2 °C, a change opponents say could still trigger algal growth. After more than 12 hours of public testimony, Palm Beach County commissioners voted 5-1 to deny an expansion, though additional applications remain pending. Opposition has been voiced by numerous local groups, officials and a Florida senator, with a county moratorium on large datacenters set for a vote next month.