DeSantis Signs Bill Shielding Tampa Ratepayers from Data Center Costs

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 484 into law Thursday afternoon at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, about 55 miles east of Tampa. The legislation targets hyperscale data centers—massive facilities powering AI and cloud computing—by prohibiting utilities from shifting their enormous electricity and water costs onto Florida ratepayers. "It protects consumers from footing the bill for any hyperscale data center in the state of Florida," DeSantis stated during the signing event, as captured in the governor's official YouTube press conference. The bill revises state regulations to ensure local governments, including Tampa and Hillsborough County, retain authority over comprehensive planning and land development for large-load customers like data centers. This addresses concerns raised after Senate Bill 180 inadvertently curtailed local powers. For Tampa residents, who rely on Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) for power, the law requires public utilities to establish minimum large-load tariff requirements, preventing subsidies for "some of the wealthiest companies in the history of humanity," per DeSantis' remarks. Water protection is a key provision relevant to Tampa Bay's aquifers and the Hillsborough River. Data centers must now apply publicly for consumptive use permits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, eliminating prior exemptions for economic development projects. "Data centers of any size have to apply for and be subject to public meetings," DeSantis said, ensuring community input on potential strains to local water resources amid ongoing drought concerns in the region. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability will study large-scale data center construction and operations, with findings to guide future policy. Florida's Executive Office of the Governor highlighted the bill in a May 7 press release as the nation's first to align rhetoric with reality on data center impacts. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, as Tampa leaders monitor potential hyperscale proposals near I-4 corridors and port-adjacent industrial zones.