Byron Donalds of the U.S. House of Representatives said that Florida should lead in technology and artificial intelligence by hosting data centers with a strategic plan rather than warehousing data in other states or countries.
The topic is significant as demand for digital services continues to grow, requiring increased server capacity and infrastructure investment. According to a poll by the Associated Industries of Florida Center for Political Strategy, 64 percent of Florida voters support building a data center in their community to lower property taxes and secure critical data from foreign adversaries.
At a Turning Point USA event at Florida Gulf Coast University, Donalds said, “I think when it comes to technology, AI and everything else, Florida should lead. I’m not anti-data center. I’m pro-having a plan. The more you use technology, the more server space that you’re going to need. The more server space that you’re going to need, the more racks that you’re going to have to figure out. We use common sense. We know how to do this thing. We should lead, not play cute on social media, not just say no without a plan and a strategy,” according to a video of his speech.
He called for policies that protect residents and the power grid while including on-site energy solutions and residential setbacks. Donalds also emphasized respecting property rights and avoiding burdens on families from unchecked expansion.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that a typical large data center requires an initial capital investment of $215.5 million and supports about 1,688 local jobs during an 18–24 month construction phase, generating $77.7 million in wages and $9.9 million in state and local taxes. Once operational, such facilities sustain 157 local jobs annually with $7.8 million in wages and $1.1 million in ongoing state and local taxes; each high-tech job tied to data centers creates approximately five additional jobs in other sectors.
Donalds represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District after serving two terms in the Florida House focusing on education reform, school choice, and criminal justice reform according to his official biography.
