TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – The Florida House approved a bill Tuesday that would regulate artificial intelligence data centers in the state, sending the measure to the Senate for consideration.
The legislation is designed to protect Florida residents from bearing the cost of data center utilities. It would require tech companies to pay for all utilities they use and restrict where facilities can be built.
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The version heading to the Senate loosens a ban on non-disclosure agreements between companies and local governments.
Florida currently has no large-scale data centers. Rep. Griff Griffitts, R-Panama City, said the bill is intended to get ahead of issues other states are already facing.
“We obviously know that AI and data centers are the future,” Griffitts said. “I feel we’ve got to embrace that technology and figure out how to make sure it doesn’t impact our lives or our neighborhood lives.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis supports the legislation. Regulating data centers is part of his AI bill of rights proposal.
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