Florida Senate Passes Landmark Data Center Regulation Bill 37-0

Update — June 10, 2026: This article describes SB 484 at the moment it cleared the Senate 37-0 in February — the stronger version. The House then weakened the bill (stripping HB 1007's buffer zone and other limits) and passed it 92-16; the Senate concurred 31-6 on March 13. Gov. DeSantis signed the final SB 484 on May 7, 2026 (effective July 1). The companion HB 1007, plus HB 1517 and SB 1118, all died with the session. What the final SB 484 actually does.

In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the Florida Senate voted 37-0 to pass SB 484, a landmark bill that could fundamentally change how hyperscale data centers operate in the state. The bill, sponsored by Senator Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah), establishes the most comprehensive framework for regulating large-load electricity customers that any state has enacted to date.

What the Bill Does

SB 484 targets "large-load customers" — facilities that demand 50 megawatts or more of electricity. For context, a single hyperscale data center can consume as much power as a small city. The bill's core provisions address five major areas of concern.

Preventing Cost-Shifting to Homeowners

The bill's centerpiece is a requirement that the Public Service Commission (PSC) establish specific tariffs for large-load customers. These tariffs must include:

• Contributions in aid of construction — data center developers must pay upfront for the infrastructure needed to serve their enormous power demands, rather than spreading those costs across all ratepayers
• Demand charges — pricing that reflects the actual cost of maintaining capacity for facilities that can draw massive amounts of power
• Take-or-pay provisions — if a data center commits to a certain level of power usage, it must pay for that capacity even if it doesn't use it all
• Early termination fees — if a facility shuts down or relocates, it can't leave ratepayers holding the bag for infrastructure investments

This matters because in Virginia — which hosts more data centers than anywhere else in the world — residential electricity rates have risen dramatically as utilities build out infrastructure to serve data center demand. Dominion Energy customers have seen rate increases directly tied to data center expansion.

Banning Foreign Ownership

SB 484 prohibits "foreign entities of concern" from owning or operating large-load customer facilities in Florida. This provision addresses growing national security concerns about adversary states gaining access to critical data infrastructure. The definition aligns with federal frameworks used by CFIUS (the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States).

Water Management

The bill requires distinct consumptive use permitting for large-load facilities, separate from the permitting process used for residential and agricultural users. Data centers that use evaporative cooling can consume millions of gallons of water per day — a critical concern in Florida, where communities depend on the aquifer for drinking water.

NDA Restrictions

Perhaps most significantly for communities like Arden, SB 484 prohibits local governments from entering into non-disclosure agreements with data center developers during the planning and approval process. This directly addresses a pattern seen across the country where developers use NDAs to prevent public discussion of proposed facilities until plans are too far along to stop.

Reclaimed Water Requirement

Large-load facilities must use reclaimed water for cooling where available, reducing their draw on the potable water supply.

Committee History

SB 484's path through the Senate demonstrated broad support:

• Regulated Industries Committee: Passed 8-0
• Community Affairs Committee: Favorable report
• Rules Committee: Approved for floor vote
• Full Senate: Passed 37-0

No senator voted against the bill at any stage, reflecting the bipartisan consensus that data center development needs guardrails.

The Companion Bill

SB 484 has a companion bill in the House — HB 1007, sponsored by Rep. Griff Griffitts (R). While the bills share many provisions, HB 1007 goes further by establishing a specific 5-mile buffer zone between hyperscale facilities and residential areas. HB 1007 passed the State Affairs Committee 24-1 but never reached a House floor vote — its provisions were folded into SB 484, and the buffer was stripped.

The House ultimately passed a weakened version 92-16, the Senate concurred 31-6, and Governor DeSantis signed SB 484 into law on May 7, 2026.

What This Means for Arden

Now that SB 484 is law (effective July 1, 2026), it applies to Project Tango in several ways:

• Cost protections: FPL must establish specific tariffs for the facility, preventing rate increases from being passed to Arden homeowners
• NDA transparency: Under the law's local-government NDA ban, any agreements between the developer and Palm Beach County are subject to scrutiny
• Water permitting: The facility needs separate consumptive use permits, opening a new avenue for environmental review
• Foreign ownership screening: The developer's ownership structure must comply with the foreign entity prohibition

The July 15 county commission hearing falls 14 days AFTER the July 1 effective date, so commissioners will be voting under SB 484's new legislative framework — a meaningful change in the regulatory backdrop.

How You Can Help

The 2026 session has ended and SB 484 is now law. The fight has moved to the county: turnout at the July 15 hearing is what decides Project Tango.

Stand with your neighbors to protect your property rights and hold developers accountable for the lack of disclosure about Project Tango.

Sources

• SB 484 — Florida Senate Bill Tracker
• SB 484 Bill Text (PDF)
• WUSF: "Florida Senate unanimously passes data center regulation bill"
• Florida Politics: "Bryan Avila's data center bill clears Senate"
• The Capitolist: "Bipartisan support for data center regulation grows"
• Holland & Knight: "Florida Legislature Takes on Data Center Regulation"