New restrictions on large-scale data centers, part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to tamp down on the maturing field of artificial intelligence, won Senate backing Thursday.
After a unanimous vote the bill (SB 484) now heads to the House. The measure addresses key issues such as electricity and water use needed to maintain the data centers and generally requires public notice of when plans are filed for a data center in the region.
Miami Springs Republican Sen. Bryan Avila said his proposal is intended to help Floridians avoid issues already experienced in other states like Virginia, where ratepayers have seen “dramatic increases” with the arrival of the massive, energy-demanding data centers.
“The Global demand for data center capacity will triple by 2030 and it anticipates there will be a 20 to 25 percent annual growth of data center capacity within the United States during that time,” Avila said in reference to a 2025 report from McKinsey & Company.
Avila amended the bill on the floor to require the disclosure of plans to build and operate a data center, altering current law that provides a one-year public records exemption on the release of certain business plans once economic development applications are filed.
“Once there is any sort of indication of a potential location, relocation or expansion of a data center, it has to be disclosed to the public that there is a data center that could potentially come somewhere within that jurisdiction,” Avila said.
Exact details of the plans, however, such as the exact footprint or technical aspects, could remain under wraps for up to a year.
The House has started to fast track a similar data center measure (HB 1007), but has yet to show movement on DeSantis’ call for an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights.” House leadership prefers to defer more universal regulations over the field to the federal government.
The Senate’s “AI Bill of Rights” measure (SB 482) was originally set for a floor vote Thursday but was postponed for the second consecutive day.
Asked about the future of the bill, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, replied that the “Senate believes in the policy.”
Blocking utility customers from getting hit with higher electric and water costs was part of DeSantis’ proposal to impose new regulations on AI.
Earlier this month, DeSantis stressed the state has a responsibility to channel technology to benefit people and enhance, rather than supplant, the human experience.
“There are some people who are big advocates of that, who almost relish in the fact that they think this just displaces human beings and then ultimately you’re going to have AI run society and that you’re not going to be able to control it. Count me out on that,” DeSantis said during a February 4 event at New College of Florida in Sarasota.
The data center bill, in part, would require the Florida Public Service Commission, which regulates electric utilities, to develop what are known as “tariffs” and service requirements to “reasonably ensure that each large load customer bears its own full cost of service and that such cost is not shifted to the general body of ratepayers.”
That would include costs related to issues such as connecting to electric systems and increased power transmission and generation costs.
During committee hearings, business lobbying groups raised concerns the centers are being overregulated, with additional permitting not required for other large industrial users, which could offset the economic benefit.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Earthjustice has outlined communities already facing the potential for excess water withdrawals and electricity demands from data center projects being proposed in Polk County, Palm Beach County, Martin County, Citrus County, and St. Lucie County.
“Our constituents are telling us that they have major concerns about the impact of data centers on their electricity bills, on the environment, on water use,” said Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith.
Albritton said he believes a balance will be found on the data center issue.
“I think what’s going to happen is that this conversation will continue to evolve, and the power generators, the water suppliers, and the AI folks and the local communities are going to find a way to make all of this work,” Albritton told reporters after the floor session. “And especially, by the way, as it relates to rural communities, a data center can be a really nice tax base.”
–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
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