(WSVN) - Voters across the country are growing concerned over data centers.
Some said they are noisy, while others complained they drive up utility bills and suck up natural resources.
The issue united some Democrats and Republicans, especially in the state of Florida.
“The University of North Florida poll suggested that the majority of people are concerned about the vote from the Democratic and Republican side, about the impact that data centers are going to have on the respective communities,” said 7News Political Analyst Brian Fonseca.
There are an estimated 170 data centers in Florida, with more than 50 in Miami-Dade County alone.
Fonseca said the bottom line for Florida voters is how the centers could impact their wallets.
“I think Floridians are increasingly concerned about the affordability, particularly about things like electricity, the impact on development of their communities, so that’s what makes it a political issue,” said Fonseca.
Candidates from both parties are hearing about this issue from voters.
“It’s about utility bills. We are not going to let the people of Florida have to bear the burden of higher utility bills for a data center. It is in state law today; that a data center would have to pay for all of the utility costs, not pass them on to consumers,” said Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds.
Donalds said he believes local governments should be in control of where data centers are built.
His opponent, Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly, said he believes it is imperative to hit pause for a year and take a closer look on how massive data centers could impact the Sunshine State.
“75% of the state says ‘Don’t data centers.’ That should be enough, folks. Sorry. That should just be enough right now to hit pause,” said Jolly.
Democratic senatorial candidate Angie Nixon said voters are frustrated from being informed at the last minute about data centers being proposed in their communities.
“They’re starting to pop up everywhere, or, they are, data centers are purchasing land, right,” said Nixon. “The companies are purchasing land to potentially build, and, so, folks are frustrated at the lack of transparency, the lack of input that the communities are able to provide. They’re nervous.”
Her Republican opponent, Sen. Ashley Moody, declined a sit-down interview with 7News.
She is quoted in a Florida Politics article as saying, “It needs to be up to the people of a community or a state to decide what works best for them and what they want for their state.”
What voters want is the ultimate question for candidates hoping to win their votes on Nov. 3.
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