Potential expansion of data centers in Florida

Auburndale is fast becoming the newest battleground over big tech. In fact, just last night, more than 1,000 fired-up residents packed a public workshop to fight a proposed data center there, sounding the alarm over noise pollution, and the threat to their property values. But this local fight here could be just the beginning. With last week's midterm elections bringing a blue wave to a number of other states, tech giants face strict new rules elsewhere, and they may be setting their sights now on Florida as a result. FOX 13's Carla Byron breaks down why this political shift could bring massive tech developments to our backyards. During the recent midterm elections, along with the blue wave, there was a massive anti-data center wave, with voters nationwide rejecting these developments. Incoming Democratic governors in states like Texas, Georgia, and New Mexico plan to impose moratoriums or tight restrictions on the industry. Florida, however, was the outlier. GOP Representative Byron Donalds, backed by millions from the tech and AI industries, narrowly defeated Democrat David Jolly in the Florida governor's race. We have seen his stance tighten in a little bit during the election process from being very pro business, pro data center to yes, we still are open to it, but with a lot of restrictions, with a lot of caveats. So the big question is, will tech companies now flock to Florida? Comes to data centers, I don't think this is a particularly red state versus blue state issue at all. I think there are so many more nuanced perspectives that go into it. Will companies be looking at Florida? 100% they will Is it going to become the next hotbed for data center development? Only time will tell. Florida is an attractive and hospitable state for tech expansion because companies already have a presence here. Plus, it boasts a multinational population and a diverse talent pool. One of the big challenges these hyperscale data centers face is the need for cooling. However, Florida already has robust utility grids and fiber optics in place. So Schiffelbein says there are ways to mitigate these issues. Still, grassroots community members have been pushing back And I think there's going to be a fine line that the government will have to walk between mandating pro-business because there are some massive economic gains that can be held by the state when you have tech and data center infrastructure move in versus what are the short, medium, and long-term consequences on the everyday resident. Schiffelbein says it will be interesting to see what tensions arise between the local and state levels. In Polk County, Carla Byron, Fox 13 News.