Key protection stripped out of Florida Data center bill as it nears finish line

The Florida state legislature is inching closer to passing new restrictions on data centers in the state, aimed at protecting utility customers. The bill would allow tariffs to be levied on data centers to ensure utility ratepayers don't bear the brunt of data centers' massive electric and water requirements, which aligns with a key priority of Governor Ron DeSantis. However, a key element of the original bill that would have ensured communities could push back on data center projects before deals were set in stone has been stripped out in the final days of the legislative session. The bill initially sought to prohibit prospective data center projects from requiring local government officials to enter into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used by companies to protect trade secrets in the early stages of projects. Critics argue this removes opportunities for the public to voice opposition to unpopular data center projects. The data center bill also does not allow local governments to pass blanket prohibitions on data centers, as the Governor had requested, nor does it prohibit tax incentives from being offered to attract data centers. State lawmakers will have to agree on final bill language by the end of the week for the bill to pass.