Data Center Opposition, State Policies Emerge in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Opposition to data centers is growing across the US, with proposed restrictions in Florida and an executive order signed in Pennsylvania. In Wisconsin, the WEDC chief champions data center development for job creation, while We Energies plans for a significant electricity demand surge driven by hyperscale data centers.
Across the United States, bipartisan opposition to AI data centers is escalating, becoming a rallying cry ahead of midterm elections. In Florida, Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican gubernatorial primary winner backed by crypto PACs, has proposed restrictions on data center development within the state. Simultaneously, Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order imposing stringent standards on data center projects in his state.
Despite the growing opposition, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) chief John Miller advocates for data center development in Wisconsin, citing the creation of "thousands and thousands" of jobs and multi-billion dollar investments. Miller, appointed by Governor Tony Evers, highlighted partnerships with tech companies like Microsoft for initiatives such as Green Bay's TitletownTech VC fund and the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab at UW-Milwaukee, in a discussion with WisPolitics-State Affairs and the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Energy demands from data centers are a significant concern. We Energies, a Wisconsin utility, is preparing for an expected surge in electricity consumption, driven by hyperscale data centers, which could increase the state's electricity demand by over 40% by 2032. To address this, We Energies' parent company informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it entered a power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy to secure 86% of the energy from the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Manitowoc County through 2053.