The project is vigorously opposed by the Citizens Against Merchant Power, one of the most influential residents groups in Lake County. The site is at State Road 44 and County Road 437, about 38 miles northwest of Downtown Orlando. Duke plans to resubmit the zoning request in the fall with a revised proposal it hopes will win support from its opposition.

The standoff is another example of the ongoing citizen versus government confrontations surfacing throughout the region, as mega corporations spot potentially valuable development sites for their ventures. Duke's pullout comes the same day a county staff report urged commissioners to reject the undertaking. Concerns over water supply, noise and the placement of a large commercial venture in a rural setting were cited in the report.

The county's planning and zoning commission was scheduled to hear Duke's land-use request next week, while the full county council had scheduled a hearing on the project for Feb. 27. By withdrawing at this juncture, Duke officials feel they gain more time to assess the mood of the neighborhood where their plant is proposed on 25 acres of the 360-acre tract.