Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation Thursday to establish strict regulations for large-scale data centers, positioning the state as the first in the nation to mandate that consumers and taxpayers bear no burden of utility costs or water resource usage linked to these facilities. The bill, SB 484, was enacted at Florida Polytechnic University with a clear focus on community accountability and economic fairness.

DeSantis stated, “Today in Lakeland, I signed legislation to protect our citizens and communities from hyperscale data centers.” The law requires water use discussions and utility impact assessments to occur during public meetings before data center permits are approved. It also mandates that facilities apply for consumptive water permits—a step designed to ensure transparency and local oversight.

“We believe this is the first in the country that ensures that the rhetoric we hear is actually reality on the ground,” DeSantis said, emphasizing his push for a national framework to govern artificial intelligence infrastructure. He argued that without clear regulations, AI development risks harming communities, families, and children through unchecked energy costs and resource consumption.

Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly noted the law balances economic growth with public accountability, stating, “This legislation ensures utility costs tied to the facilities remain the responsibility of the data centers themselves rather than taxpayers or utility customers.” DeSantis reiterated that Florida has yet to construct any data centers but has seen multiple proposals—including a massive AI facility in Fort Meade—facing local opposition over water and electricity concerns.

The governor emphasized that Floridians should not subsidize “the wealthiest companies in all of humanity,” calling the law a proactive measure amid national debates about artificial intelligence expansion. With no data centers currently operational in the state, SB 484 aims to set a precedent for responsible infrastructure development before similar projects proceed nationwide.