Credit: Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Youth climate activists flocked to Tallahassee Thursday to back legislation that would protect Floridians from being taken advantage of by corporations building large-scale AI data centers in the coming years.
“We gather here in support of HB 1007,” said Anamikda Naidu, board chair with Youth Action Fund, during a press conference on the steps of the Old Capitol.
“This bill limits how and where hyperscale data centers can be built and operated in Florida. This bill is a great start towards balancing the rise of AI with the very legitimate needs of Floridians, preserving cultural and conservation efforts and protecting our state’s culture and community,” she said.
The concerns about hyperscale data centers have grown substantially around the country over the past year, as they consume enormous amounts of electricity and water. A conventional data center consumes as much electricity as 10,000 to 25,000 households, according to the International Energy Agency
DeSantis ‘AI Bill of Rights’
No one was has been louder in expressing his concerns about AI in Florida than Gov. Ron DeSantis. In early December, he announced his proposal to protect Floridians from paying for AI data centers and to empower local governments to reject their development in their communities.
That action prompted rare praise for the governor from the climate advocates, who in past years have spoken critically about the GOP-controlled Legislature’s failure to combat climate change.
“Look, Gov. DeSantis has seldom been an ally to young people in Florida,” said Cameron Driggers, with Youth Action Fund. “But we’ve been pleasantly surprised by his proposed Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights that would protect Floridians against nonconsensual data usage, prevent tax breaks and subsidies related to hyper-data centers.”
“We’re here to demand transparency at all levels of government, and especially as it relates to data centers in our brown and Black communities,” said Saphira Etienne, with Engage Miami.
“HB 1007 makes it clear that local governments have the right and autonomy to decide whether or not they want a data center built. Not a big-dollar developer or the state. It recognizes that customers should not have to be burdened with paying high utility fees because of a data center’s electric and water usage. Which degrades our environment, pollutes our water, and endangers the health of our communities.”
Legislative priorities
The climate activists touted support for HB 1007, a proposal filed by Rep. Philip Griffitts, R-Panama City Beach, which would prohibit hyperscale data centers from being built on environmentally sensitive lands. The bill regulating AI data centers that is now moving in the Legislature however is SB 484, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs.
Avila’s bill would require the Public Service Commission (PSC) to develop minimum large load tariff requirements for public electric utilities to reasonably ensure that big customers (such as large data centers) pay for their own cost of service and that the general body of ratepayers do not bear the risk of non-payment of such costs.
It also specifies that agencies may not enter into nondisclosure agreements or other contract language restricting disclosure of information about a potential data center to the public. And it would continue to maintain authority of local governments to exercise their powers of comprehensive planning and land development regulations granted by law with respect to large-load customers.
The youth climate activists say they also support legislation (SB 126) sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Crestview, requiring the PSC to justify rate increases for investor-owned utilities. The legislation comes after the PSC approved a nearly $7 billion rate increase for Florida Power & Light’s 12 million customers, the largest rate hike in history.
“We see utility companies rake up record profits while passing the cost of the climate crisis onto our communities by raising our bills, shutting off power to our people, and keeping us dependent on dirty energy,” said Alyssa White, climate justice organizer with Florida Student Power. “We are watching your votes on the Florida Public Service Commission. We are watching the movement of the residential utility disconnection bill (SB 1576 ). And we will be watching every other bill that will have an impact on our environment and our community.”
The advocates discussed their concerns about climate change, the main focus of two previous “Earth Advocacy Days” at the Capitol. Environmentalists have contended that Florida’s GOP-led government has been not only indifferent but outright hostile to acknowledging the dangers of climate change for over a decade.
In 2014, Former Gov. Rick Scott said, “I’m not a scientist,” when asked about climate change. At another point in his tenure, former state employees reported that Scott’s administration directed them to avoid using the phrase “climate change,” although Scott denied that.
In 2024, the Legislature passed and Gov. DeSantis signed into law (HB 1645) a measure that repealed several instances of the words “climate change” from statutes and restructured a policy that listed ameliorating climate change as a priority when making energy decisions. The new priority was to ensure “an adequate, reliable and cost-effective supply of energy for the state in a manner that promotes the health and welfare of the public and economic growth,” as spelled out in a legislative analysis.
While many Republicans have been critical of climate change initiatives, there have been discussions among Democrats since the 2024 election that they no longer should treat it as a top-tier issue.
The Searchlight Institute, a policy research group designed to push the Democratic Party into more popular political positions, reported last year that its polling indicated voters “rightfully see climate change as a serious problem, but they do not prioritize addressing it over issues like affordable energy, health care, and jobs.”
Among the groups that participated in Thursday’s event were members from genCLEO, Youth Action Fund, Engage Miami, Florida Student Power Network, SEE Alliance, Poder Latinx, and The Sunrise Movement Orlando and Gainesville Chapters.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.
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