TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – As of Wednesday, over 100 new state laws have become official, with one law in particular tackling the hotly debated issue of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers.
Recently, community members have been attending local government meetings in droves to voice their concerns about the potential establishment of these facilities. The primary worries involve the strain on water resources and the impact on electricity expenses.
Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the immense power consumption of data centers, noting, “These data hubs can use as much electricity as a city with a population of 500,000 or even more.” He stressed that the financial burden for this usage should not fall on Florida’s residents.
The governor asserts that this new legislation is designed to safeguard the interests and resources of the state’s citizens.
Under the new law, public utilities must adhere to specific minimum tariff and service requirements for substantial consumers of electricity. Furthermore, the water management district’s governing board is barred from granting water usage permits to large-scale data centers in certain situations.
Locally, large crowds have gathered to oppose the idea of facilities in Haines City, Fort Meade, and Lakeland.
Resident Lorena Ervin said, “We as a society cannot handle it, especially if we’re just Haines City specific, we cannot keep up or maintain any of it.”
Here is a list of the new Florida laws going into effect July 1.