Jeremy Sheftel of the Associated Industries of Florida said that Florida voters support building data centers to lower property taxes, create high-paying jobs, and protect sensitive information from foreign adversaries.
The topic is significant as property tax collections in Florida have exceeded $55 billion annually with assessed values rising more than 370 percent from 2000 to 2024 while population and inflation grew by only 116 percent. The effective rate stands at 0.76 percent resulting in average bills of about $5,400 for median homes. Data centers can provide additional revenue to ease burdens on families according to the James Madison Institute.
“Florida voters want smart economic growth that lowers their property tax burden, creates high-paying jobs here at home, and secures our state’s most sensitive information from hostile foreign actors overseas. Building data centers is a common-sense measure that delivers real relief for homeowners and workers while keeping our data here in America and out of the hands of bad actors like Communist China. At a time when cost and affordability are squeezing Florida families who are working record hours trying to make an honest living, Florida lawmakers have a real opportunity to deliver tangible relief to voters by welcoming data center investments that lower taxes and boost local economies while keeping our data out of the hands of our adversaries,” Sheftel said according to the Associated Industries of Florida website.
Sheftel announced polling showing 64 percent support among Florida voters for data centers that lower property taxes, create jobs, and enhance security. Republicans back the idea at 77 percent with majorities among Hispanic voters at 70 percent and seniors at 74 percent. The business group has promoted free enterprise policies since 1920 as reported by Associated Industries of Florida.
According to the Regional Economic Consulting Group, a one-gigawatt data center in Florida could deliver $2.6 billion in annual economic impact and over $400 million in state and local tax revenue. Construction would create more than 45,000 temporary jobs with $2.4 billion in earnings and support over 5,300 permanent positions generating $292 million yearly according to Consumer Energy Alliance.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reports that China access to U.S. data poses risks for espionage and cyber threats to infrastructure. Domestic data center investments help keep sensitive information secure from hostile foreign actors. Florida projects align economic benefits with national security priorities by retaining control over critical technology according to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
