Florida on board with state data center regulations, defying Trump
News ClipTallahassee Democrat·Tallahassee, Leon County, FL·2/24/2026
The Florida legislature is considering new regulations for data centers, which is opposed by President Trump but backed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The proposed legislation aims to set stricter guidelines for energy and water usage, as well as noise levels, for large data centers in the state. This represents a rare policy deal between Republican lawmakers in Florida, as the state looks to take a more active role in governing the data center industry amid the growth of artificial intelligence.
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Gov: Florida House, Florida Senate, Florida Governor's Office
Florida is moving to regulate data centers, defying opposition from President Trump. The state's Republican-led legislature is advancing bills that would set stricter guidelines for data centers, including requiring them to pay their own electric costs and prohibiting them from being located within 5 miles of homes or schools. This represents a rare area of agreement between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who praise the consumer protections in the legislation. The push comes as Florida already has 120 data centers, the fourth most of any state, and faces the prospect of more as artificial intelligence demands increase. Governor Ron DeSantis has also proposed an "AI Bill of Rights" that aligns with the principles in the advancing bills, putting him at odds with Trump's advisor David Sacks and the White House's opposition to state-level data center regulations.