A cruise ship is impressive, too. That does not mean we should park one in Lake Ella.
Data centers are not harmless office buildings with better Wi-Fi. They are massive industrial users of electricity, water, land, and public infrastructure. They bring real questions about utility rates, environmental impact, tree canopy, noise, backup generators, and who pays when private profit requires public capacity.
Before anyone says, “But economic development,” let’s be clear: Tallahassee needs jobs, investment, and growth. But good growth fits the place. It strengthens the community instead of consuming it. A project that demands extraordinary amounts of power and water while offering limited permanent jobs is not an economic-development strategy. It is a very expensive outlet.
I will always listen, study the facts, and ask hard questions. But the facts already point in one direction: Tallahassee is not the right place for large-scale data centers.
Our clean energy should serve residents, small businesses, schools, hospitals, and the future we are building together — not become the welcome mat for corporations looking for cheap land, public power, and quiet approvals.
Tallahassee can be modern without being gullible. We can embrace innovation without surrendering common sense.
On data centers, I am a no.