Economic Impacts Of
AI Data Centers
Get ready for electricity prices to sky rocket.
Energy Usage
“U.S. data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, according to IEA estimates. That works out to more than 4% of the country’s total electricity consumption last year – and is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity demands of the entire nation of Pakistan. By 2030, this figure is projected to grow by 133% to 426 TWh.” (PEW Research)
Did you know Palm Beach County Residents are already experiencing an increase in energy prices? A 4 year price hike contract was signed with FPL to increase usage rates and began January 1st, 2026. (source)
Although we don’t know who the mega giant behind Project Tango is, there is room to speculate that it’s Google.
FPL’s parent company NextEra Energy went into partnership with Google Cloud to “Accelerate AI Growth and Transform the Energy Industry” and to give more power to Florida, Power, and Light.
If you look at a map of Project Tango, it is intentionally being built directly next to West County Energy Center. This AI Data Center will be taking tons of electricity from the residents of Palm Beach County and forcing us to pay for it by increases in energy rates.
This massive extra use of energy can also put a strain on local grids, which can cause reduced generation efficiency, transmission line sagging, increased blackouts, and potential system-wide failures. (Forbes)
This is a perfect example of how mega corporations make decisions about our lives with no care or concern about how they will affect us. Even if you are opposed to Project Tango or AI Data Centers in general, you are already helping to subsidize it.. just by paying your electricity bill that was increased against your will.
Jobs?
Most hyperscale AI Data Centers permanently employ around 45-100 people. That’s not very many jobs to justify the risks and negative impacts that Project Tango may have. Hyperscale AI Data Centers actually have less employees due to the use of automation.
During the construction phase, there will be construction workers living here and temporarily spending their dollars in our economy- that is not long term economic viability.
Will Project Tango be using local construction and contractors to construct this massive project?
It seems to me that the answer is NO. The CEO of Phillips Construction, based out of Knoxville, TN which is the same company that built the C-51 Reservoir, also sits on the Board of Officers for PBA Holdings, the company that is behind Project Tango.
Taxes?
As our property taxes rise in Palm Beach County, Mega Hyperscale Data Centers are getting tax breaks and incentives to build.
Giving tax breaks to these AI Data Centers could negatively impact local tax paying residents. A study done by Terry Nguyen and Ben Green at The University Of Michigan, found that
“Reduced tax revenue for independent school districts In the case of Switch’s data center in Michigan, the company sought exemptions from property taxes that funded school districts. This move directly reduced the revenue streams for Caledonia Community Schools and Kent Intermediate School District, resulting in a prolonged legal dispute. In Michigan, tax breaks for data centers exempt them from paying personal property taxes, including on machinery and computers, some of the most valuable assets in their operations.While they may still pay real property taxes on land and buildings, the overall tax contribution to schools is significantly diminished. This loss of revenue means less funding for educational programs, teacher salaries, and facility improvements, directly impacting the quality of education for students. These tax incentives have shifted the financial burden onto residents and other businesses, who must make up for the lost revenue through higher taxes and reduced public services. Michigan lawmakers initially considered legislation that would have required school districts to reimburse the company for taxes already paid, further straining school finances.“ (source)