Costa Rica Data Center Proposal Draws Water Concerns

Residents protested a possible data center in Bagaces on Saturday, raising concerns about water use and demanding more information, while the mayor said no project documents had been formally submitted to the municipality. Demonstrators gathered outside the municipal building to oppose the Palo Negro AI & HPC Campus. Their concerns included electricity consumption, noise and environmental impacts. Participants also called for an open municipal session to discuss the proposal. Mayor Alonso González said the company was still studying whether the project was feasible. He denied that the municipality was negotiating away local water resources. The company promoting the campus, COSFIN Energía, describes it as infrastructure for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, which uses powerful computer systems to handle demanding tasks. In a February promotional statement, COSFIN outlined plans for 120 megawatts of on-site renewable generation, split between 40 megawatts of wind and 80 megawatts of solar, alongside battery storage. It also advertised plans for advanced cooling systems. These are company proposals, not evidence that the facilities have been built or approved. For those who live in the area, water is a particularly sensitive issue. Participants cited Bagaces’ earlier experience with arsenic contamination and reliance on tanker deliveries as reasons for seeking clear answers about the development. The mayor’s statement that no documents had reached the municipality leaves an important distinction: residents are challenging a potential development, not a confirmed construction start. The reporting reviewed does not establish the campus’s projected water consumption or demonstrate that it would reduce household supplies.