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Opposition to data centers mounts; more could come to rural Okeechobee County
By Eileen Kelley
April 22, 2026 at 3:17 PM EDT
Editor's note: WGCU reporter Eileen Kelley is looking into published information that the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis has canceled the Okee One project. This developing story will be updated as soon as confirmation is received.
Much of southern Okeechobee County is zoned as agricultural land but a proposal to be discussed by the county board Thursday could drastically change the rural landscape in this area of grazing cattle and widely scattered housing.
Changing the land use designation from rural could beget higher-density housing as well as data centers.
The county’s land use plan was created in the early 1990s. Since then, the county has grown 30 percent to roughly 40,000 people.
One of the land use designation proposals says "'Special Technology Opportunity Centers' will facilitate economic growth and broaden the county’s tax base with close proximity to high voltage electric infrastructure."
Opposition to data centers has been growing here after earlier this year Indian River State College made a presentation to the Okeechobee Board of County Commissioners about Okee-One, its upcoming data center.
An online petition against data centers drew more than 2,000 signatures. A protest against the college's data center is slated for 12:30 p.m. April 27 at the Indian River College Dixon Hendry Campus.
The Okeechobee County government public hearing on changes to the comprehensive plan took place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 23.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
Much of southern Okeechobee County is zoned as agricultural land but a proposal to be discussed by the county board Thursday could drastically change the rural landscape in this area of grazing cattle and widely scattered housing.
Changing the land use designation from rural could beget higher-density housing as well as data centers.
The county’s land use plan was created in the early 1990s. Since then, the county has grown 30 percent to roughly 40,000 people.
One of the land use designation proposals says "'Special Technology Opportunity Centers' will facilitate economic growth and broaden the county’s tax base with close proximity to high voltage electric infrastructure."
Opposition to data centers has been growing here after earlier this year Indian River State College made a presentation to the Okeechobee Board of County Commissioners about Okee-One, its upcoming data center.
An online petition against data centers drew more than 2,000 signatures. A protest against the college's data center is slated for 12:30 p.m. April 27 at the Indian River College Dixon Hendry Campus.
The Okeechobee County government public hearing on changes to the comprehensive plan took place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 23.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.