David Jolly: A complete ban on data centers in Florida should be ‘on the table’
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly is calling for a complete ban on data centers in Florida, reinforced by a visit to Northern Virginia where he witnessed negative impacts. Local Florida governments are also taking action, with Orange County proposing a moratorium and three others having already banned construction. The state legislature recently passed a law preventing utilities from passing data center electricity costs to consumers, while preserving local zoning authority.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly advocates for a complete ban on data center construction in Florida, citing a recent visit to Northern Virginia that revealed economic and public health disruptions, including noise pollution, respiratory conditions in children, and deflated real estate prices.
Jolly, who had previously proposed a one-year moratorium if elected, asserts that Florida's unregulated environment is attracting "Big tech" and utilities, leading to voter discontent. His stance is supported by local actions in Florida, with the Orange County Commission recently advancing a plan for a 6-to-18 month data center moratorium and 19 other local governments pausing development, alongside three that have enacted permanent bans.
However, 12 data centers are already operating in Florida with eight more planned. Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds opposes Jolly's proposed moratorium, dismissing it as "politics." Donalds believes local governments should decide on data center construction and insists Florida would prevent them from being built near residential areas, unlike some instances in Northern Virginia.
Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis enacted legislation prohibiting public utilities from transferring data center electricity costs to residential and small business customers. The law also maintains local governments' authority over zoning, permitting, and land use, empowering them to establish strict standards or deny projects. Jolly remains firm, arguing that data centers offer no long-term economic impact for Florida and that national security concerns should be addressed by federal policymakers, not by sacrificing Florida communities.