DeSantis signs bill aimed at regulating Florida data centers

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new bill on Thursday imposing regulations on large data centers across the state. The legislation mandates that public utilities require data centers with a projected monthly peak load of 50 megawatts or more to directly cover their service costs, preventing these expenses from being passed on to ratepayers. Speaking at a press conference at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, DeSantis emphasized that individual Floridians should not subsidize "hyperscale data centers" operated by "the most wealthy companies." The governor, a vocal critic of artificial intelligence, also highlighted common concerns regarding data centers' substantial electricity and water consumption.