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Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman\u00a0running for Florida governor, on Monday announced legislation intended to prevent artificial intelligence data centers from driving up\u00a0utility costs, the latest sign of a political backlash over the new technology.<\/p>\n
The proposal, if passed by Congress, would require data centers to obtain all\u00a0their electricity and water needs\u00a0from private sources, rather than the power grid or public water systems. The idea aligns with an earlier,\u00a0voluntary initiative\u00a0from President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you talk to these guys who are building these data centers, if it means that they have to pick up the utility costs, they\u2019re more than willing to do it,\u201d Donalds said in an interview with The Associated Press. \u201cIt\u2019s in their interest to make sure that we can construct these centers, and I think the number one way you address and mitigate the concerns that people are having is to just ensure their utility bills aren\u2019t going up in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donalds\u2019 proposal is noteworthy coming from\u00a0a candidate\u00a0backed by pro-AI political action committees and Trump. The legislation comes during a rapid nationwide buildout of data centers to match growing demand for artificial intelligence systems. Major technology firms at the heart of the AI boom have quickly become some of the world\u2019s most valuable and watched companies, while the Trump administration has aligned itself with the industry\u2019s major players.<\/p>\n
Several major tech companies developing AI infrastructure have committed to agreements with the Trump administration to cover the expenses of building new power sources rather than shifting the burden to residential households. But given the expected increase in demand, it\u2019s unclear if the voluntary agreement is legally enforceable.<\/p>\n
The furious pace of construction and high stakes of the technology have raised\u00a0concerns among many Americans. In Florida, more than 20 counties and municipalities have voted to reject the construction of major data centers, while others have banned their construction for at least a year. Residents and local leaders often cite concerns over increased utility bills, disruption of local communities and\u00a0environmental damage\u00a0as major reasons for the pauses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese companies have been a step behind and didn\u2019t realize how quickly the ground was shifting under their feet,\u201d said Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist. Gorman said that progressive climate activists and conservative populists have both seized on the data center issue, requiring tech firms to \u201ctell a better story\u201d and address concerns from across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a full-court effort here,\u201d Gorman said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t tell that story, you\u2019re going to have it mandated on you from lawmakers of both parties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donalds is running to succeed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a fellow Republican who in May signed legislation that required large-scale data centers to pay their own energy and water costs entirely. Donalds, should he be elected governor, said he\u2019d focus on improving efficiency among data centers and moving the facilities away from population centers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to make sure that if they do get built, they\u2019re being built efficiently while protecting ratepayers and protecting Florida\u2019s water,\u201d Donalds said. \u201cThe real public policy question for the country and for states is how are we going to generate baseload power for future energy demands, whether it\u2019s for hyperscale data centers or for anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Fishback, a far-right Republican candidate for governor, has made opposition to data centers a center of his primary challenge to Donalds. And David Jolly, a former congressman and the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate, this month called for a moratorium on the construction of data centers.<\/p>\n
Travis Fisher, a fellow at the Cato Institute, said public companies usually push for the best deals to access public utilities. He said any willingness to pick up a bigger tab for energy and water reflects the political pressure facing tech firms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are very afraid that they\u2019re going to, I\u2019d say, lose their social license to operate, as if they\u2019re basically going to get run out of town or banned,\u201d said Fisher.<\/p>\n
#Trumpbacked #hopeful #succeed #DeSantis #unveils #plan #protect #local #water #electricity #data #centers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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