As Florida wrestles with how it will handle data centers and the added costs they can bleed down to residents, utility regulators took up a case Tuesday that will test the state’s resolve for how strictly it wants to regulate the warehouses.
The Florida Public Service Commission’s hearing focused on a Duke Energy plan for how it intends to handle data centers and the huge demand for electricity they bring to the grid. The state consumer advocate, Walt Trierweiler, has called the company’s proposal “unlawful” and accused it of trying to skirt consumer protections for profit. He and other affordability advocates had asked regulators to scrap Duke’s plan altogether, forcing the utility to start over.
The commissioners declined to go that far. But even as they voted to advance the proposal, several made clear they weren’t sure how it would fare through the next stage of hearings, when the company must make its case that it adequately protects customers.
“I think you’re on real shaky ground if you ask me,” Commissioner Gary Clark said, addressing Duke.
The next hearings are scheduled for Aug. 25 and 26. The company has said its plan complies with state law and would require data centers to cover their own costs.
Data center proposals have been popping up with increasing frequency around the state, including in Duke’s service territory, as the industry looks to expand.
One commissioner, Mike La Rosa, disagreed with his colleagues and voted to dismiss Duke’s case entirely. La Rosa, a former Republican lawmaker, said he had concerns with whether Duke was following the rules set by the Legislature.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s data center law in May and has been a vocal proponent of adding guardrails to the industry despite the fact that he also helped data centers secure millions in tax breaks.
The audio feed for the livestreams of Tuesday’s commission meeting did not work, making it difficult for members of the public to follow unless they were in the room in Tallahassee. A bright orange banner on the Florida Channel website acknowledged the glitch, and the Public Service Commission said in an email that its technology staff was “working on the issue.”
The Tampa Bay Times obtained an audio recording of a portion of the hearing from an attendee.
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