Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation To Protect Florida Citizens And Communities From “Hyperscale Data Centers”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed legislation to create new regulations for large-scale data centers.

SB 484, which DeSantis signed at Florida Polytechnic University, aims to prevent utility costs from being passed on to Florida consumers.

“Today in Lakeland, I signed legislation to protect our citizens and communities from hyperscale data centers,” DeSantis said.

The Republican governor said SB 484 does the following:

• “Ensures that local governments maintain the authority to reject data center development in their communities”
• “Prevents data center costs from being passed on to consumers, including electricity costs”
• “Protects Florida’s water resources from data center consumption
  These are much-needed protections for taxpayers and our natural resources.”

More from FOX 13 Tampa Bay:

State officials said the bill requires discussions involving water use and utility impacts from data centers to happen during public meetings, adding more transparency for communities.

The centers will have to apply to be considered for a consumptive use permit in order to tap into the state’s water resources.

“This bill I think is the first in the country that ensures that the rhetoric we hear is actually reality on the ground,” DeSantis said.

State leaders voiced concerns about the amount of water and electricity needed to operate massive data centers, particularly as artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to expand nationwide.

Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly said the bill strikes a balance between economic growth and public accountability.

Kelly added that the legislation ensures utility costs tied to the facilities remain the responsibility of the data centers themselves rather than taxpayers or utility customers.