Background
Data centers — large buildings full of computer servers that power everything from cloud storage to artificial intelligence — are being proposed in communities across Florida. A single large facility can use as much electricity and water as a small city while employing relatively few people, and its effects on land, water, and neighbors can last for decades. 1000 Friends of Florida does not take a position for or against data center proposals. We believe these decisions belong to local communities, and that communities decide best when they have clear standards, complete information, and an open decision-making process. The resources on this page are meant to help local governments and residents ask the right questions and weigh each proposal on its merits.Â
Our Reports
Practical Tools for Local Governments and the Residents They Serve: Best Practices Guide (September 2026)
A practical guide for evaluating data center proposals. It covers where large facilities should and should not be located, how to protect water supplies and sensitive lands, how to manage noise, lighting, and energy demand, what to require in an application, and how to plan for a facility’s eventual closure. It also includes a curated list of model ordinances, research, and Florida law for communities that want to dig deeper.
Potential Impacts of Data Center Development on Florida Communities: Issues for State and Local Policymakers (February 2026)
An introduction to the issue. This report explains what data centers are, why they are spreading so quickly, and how they can affect a community’s electricity supply, water, land, tax base, and quality of life. It closes with questions planners and local officials should consider before any approval is granted.
Additional Resources
Florida law and policy
- SB 484 (2026) — Florida’s 2026 data center law, which leaves zoning and comprehensive planning decisions with local governments.
- Florida sales tax exemption for data centers (s. 212.08, F.S.) — The state incentive communities should weigh against local costs.
Model ordinances and planning tools
- Georgia Tech Data Center Ordinance Hub — Searchable collection of local ordinances and sample language from around the country.
- American Planning Association: Zoning for Data Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining — Professional planning guidance on zoning for these uses.
- National League of Cities: Community Strategies for Data Center Development — Short fact sheet on strategies cities are using.
- Georgetown Climate Center: Local Ordinances for Data Centers — Model local approaches for balancing data centers with climate and resource goals.
- Smart Growth America: Our Zoning Is Not Ready — Why conventional zoning codes weren’t written with hyperscale facilities in mind.
- MultiState: State Data Center Policy 101 — Primer on how states are approaching data center regulation.
- Urban Land Institute: Data Center Whitepaper (2024) — The real estate industry’s perspective on the data center market.
Research and case studies
- Piedmont Environmental Council: Data Centers and Energy Demand — Lessons from Northern Virginia, home to the largest concentration of data centers in the country.
- Brookings: Employment Effects of Data Centers — Research on how many jobs data centers actually create.
- Brookings: Local Implications of Data Centers for Rural Communities — How data centers affect rural areas.
- Headwaters Economics: Ensuring Development Delivers Local Benefits — Practical guidance for rural communities negotiating with developers.
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Data Center Power Play — How data centers interact with the electric grid.
- Sierra Club: Policies for Data Centers (2026) — National recommendations on energy, water, and protecting ratepayers.
- Better Data Center Project: Diesel Generators at Data Centers (2026) — Backup generator emissions and alternatives.
- MultiState: Large-Load Policy and State Pushback — The trend toward requiring developers to fund their own infrastructure.
- Forbes: Tax Breaks for Data Centers Bring Few Jobs (2024) — On the return communities get from data center incentives.
- Stetson Advocacy Journal: Water Scarcity and Florida Water Policy — Florida-specific context on water supply.
- 10 Things Public Officials Should Know About AI Data Centers — Quick primer for decision-makers.
Stay current
- Data Center Watch — Ongoing briefings on data center developments nationwide.
- U.S. Data Center Map — Interactive map of existing facilities.