By Kevin Doyle, Consumer Energy Alliance
Florida’s economy has long been defined by tourism, real estate and the industries that serve them. That foundation has served our state well, but the next generation of economic growth will run on something else: digital infrastructure.
The systems powering modern health care, logistics, financial services and Florida’s military and aerospace operations all depend on data centers. Our state is already home to some of the fastest-growing technology corridors in the country, and it has a clear opportunity to make data center investment a central part of what comes next. Passing on that opportunity due to misconceptions and falsehoods would be a mistake, and one that will hold Florida back for generations.
The case for welcoming digital infrastructure investment is well documented. Data centers generate high-value tax revenue that funds schools, hospitals and emergency services without placing significant demands on local services in return. In Loudoun County, Virginia, for example, data centers generate $26 in tax revenue for every $1 the county spends on services for them, and the county has lowered its residential property tax rate every year for the past decade as a result.
What’s more, data centers provide utilities the financial certainty needed to invest in generation and transmission upgrades that benefit all ratepayers: States with growing large-load demand have often seen more stable and even lower electricity prices because major users help spread fixed infrastructure costs across a larger base of customers.
Beyond the fiscal and grid benefits, data centers create durable economic activity that will help our state thrive. Construction of a single facility employs hundreds of skilled tradesmen, like electricians, engineers and mechanical contractors, with wages that reflect the precision and technical demands of the work.
Once operational, these facilities support long-term careers in technical operations, cybersecurity and facility management. For a state working to diversify its economic base beyond seasonal industries, that combination of construction activity, permanent employment and a stable tax base is a game changer.
Unfortunately, what is happening in counties across Florida and the discussion around a moratorium is troubling. We’ve seen counties like Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas consider and even pass moratoriums pausing data center applications for up to 12 months.
While local governments certainly have a right to make these decisions, it sends a signal that investment in the county is uncertain and likely unwelcome. It is honestly something you expect California or New York, states that famously like to regulate before fully understanding an issue, not Florida, where we have been known for being open for business for decades, a posture that benefits every community across our state.
Florida succeeds when we build. Here, we have an opportunity to capture a significant share of the data center investment now reshaping the American economy, and that requires the willingness to compete. Commissioners navigating these questions across the state would do well to channel their energy into developing clear, straightforward standards, rather than a blanket moratorium, that give communities confidence and innovators a reliable path to building. That is the model that has worked elsewhere, and it can work here.
Local government can lead in Florida’s future economic prosperity if they choose to be, and that can start by being open to business rather than closing the door on opportunity.
Kevin Doyle serves as vice president of state affairs for the Consumer Energy Alliance. This opinion piece was originally published by the Tampa Bay Times, which is a media partner of The Invading Sea. Banner photo: Cables running into a data center server rack (iStock image).
