Florida Data Center Intel

Recent Florida data center news

• May 11, 2026

  Dell Technologies World Through the Eyes of Our Internal Ambassadors

  Dell Internal Ambassadors preview what they’re most excited about for Dell Technologies World.

  • Main announcement: Dell Internal Ambassadors will highlight Dell’s focus on agentic AI, storage-as-backbone for AI, Dell Automation Platform, cyber resilience (PowerProtect), hands-on demos like the Claw Lab (building a self-contained agentic AI bot using a Dell Pro Max with NVIDIA GB10), the Energy Aware Compute area (servers connected to real-time and forecasted grid data to save energy costs and emissions), and hardware reveals including the Dell UltraSharp 52 6K monitor.
  • Background & details: Ambassadors will run Birds of a Feather, Ask the Experts, and Executive Briefing Center sessions; Colm Keegan references Dell’s Cyber Resilience Insights research (57% of organizations couldn’t effectively contain/recover from their last cyber incident) and teases PowerProtect updates; Forrest Sparke notes a timeline detail — biking coast-to-coast since March 2, 2026 while working with Verizon 5G-enabled Dell Rugged devices.
• May 8, 2026

  Florida planned ahead on data centers – and families are better off for it

  Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation requiring Florida’s regulated utilities to develop rate structures ensuring large-scale data centers bear their electric service costs.

  • Main action: Governor DeSantis’ law directs regulated utilities to create rate structures that ensure large-scale data centers pay their electric service costs; FPL says its PSC-approved large-load rate already requires customers to pay 100% of any new power generation needed to serve their projects and includes engineering reviews, financial collateral, minimum monthly payments, long-term commitments, and protections if a project shuts down early.
  • Context/details: The piece is an op-ed by Scott Bores, president of Florida Power & Light Company; it frames the policy as protecting Florida families and small businesses from cost-shifting and notes benefits such as added revenue to cover fixed system costs while maintaining reliability during peak demand and extreme weather.
• May 7, 2026

  50 States of Power Decarbonization Q1 2026: Lawmakers Tackle Cost Allocation and Ratepayer Protections for Large Load Additions

  The NC Clean Energy Technology Center released the Q1 2026 edition of the 50 States of Power Decarbonization report.

  • Report release & key findings: The Q1 2026 report documents 509 actions taken by 49 states plus Puerto Rico during the quarter and notes more than 600 introduced bills not yet passed. It reports planned capacity additions of 58,276 MW solar, 54,952 MW natural gas, 30,297 MW storage, and 22,358 MW wind, and 30,967 MW of planned coal retirements.
  • Top developments & context: The report highlights top policy developments including the Arizona Corporation Commission repealing the state renewable energy standard, Florida requiring large load tariffs, a North Carolina task force report on large load growth, Virginia rejoining RGGI, and El Paso Electric proposing large load tariffs in New Mexico; the most active states in Q1 2026 were Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Arizona.
• May 6, 2026

  Power Drives the AI Data Center Boom, but Connectivity Cannot be Overlooked

  An analysis argues that data center operators must prioritize power and optical connectivity for AI.

  • Main point: The piece highlights power and optical connectivity as essential prerequisites for AI, citing Omdia’s forecast that global IT load power capacity will reach 314 GW by 2030 and noting the emergence of the “scale across“ concept (coined in 2025 by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang) which requires 800 Gbps+, low-latency optical links to operate multi-site AI clusters and gigawatt-scale training campuses.
  • Background/details: The article is commentary/analysis (not a formal project announcement). It documents current industry pressures: typical large colocation sites support 50–100 MW, hyperscaler clusters are being planned at gigawatt scale, regional power supply wait times of 2–5 years, and a shift toward remote rural builds (examples: Lancaster PA; Memphis; Columbus, Ohio; rural Georgia; New Mexico; Wyoming) that require long-haul fiber links sometimes up to ~1,000 km. It references trade shows and forums including Metro Connect (Florida), Nvidia’s GTC, OFC, and the Optica Executive Forum.
• May 6, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - May 5, 2026

  EESI will host a briefing with American Rivers on May 7 about U.S. water infrastructure challenges and solutions.

  • Briefing with American Rivers on May 7: EESI and American Rivers will hold a briefing titled Policies and Financing Solutions to Modernize U.S. Water Infrastructure on Thursday, May 7, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., at the Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online; agenda includes U.S. water infrastructure challenges, solutions to close the investment gap, and discussion of the January 2026 Potomac River sewer collapse that discharged 200 million gallons of raw sewage.

    • Location: Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168)
    • Time & Date: Thursday, May 7, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    • RSVP: https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050726water#rsvp

  • Newsletter content and related items: The issue highlights articles on data center waste heat reuse, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in data center components, a breakdown of 65 climate, energy, and environment hearings on the Hill from March–April 2026, and a podcast interview about environmental justice research in Accra, Ghana. It also notes internship applications open until May 17, 2026, and links to legislative actions such as the enactment of the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.7147) and passage of bills including the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567).

• May 5, 2026

  IQ Fiber Launches Fiber-Optic Internet Service in Pinellas County, Florida

  IQ Fiber has launched 100 percent fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County, Florida, covering St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo.

  • Launch: IQ Fiber launched 100% fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo); Investment: marks the beginning of a more than $100 million investment in the region; Jobs: expected to create more than 50 permanent jobs.
  • Background & footprint: Jacksonville-based company founded in 2021 with funding from SDC Capital Partners; current network serves Jacksonville and Gainesville (FL) and areas in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, and South Carolina; public comments quoted IQ Fiber CEO Ted Schremp and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector.
• May 1, 2026

  Policy Problems Aside, Solar Continues to Shine

  Nextpower has announced a multi-year steel-frame supply agreement with Jinko Solar (U.S.) Industries.

  • This agreement is a multi-year steel-frame supply agreement in which Nextpower will supply more than 1 GW of steel frames, scalable to up to 3 GW over a three-year period, to support module manufacturing at Jinko Solar’s Jacksonville, Florida facility; the U.S. Department of the Treasury guidance notes U.S.-made steel frames can add 6% to a tracker project’s domestic content calculation.
  • Context and other recent announcements: The article reports multiple recent deals and industry developments — US Modules opened a College Station facility with Production Line 1 (~400 MW annual capacity, scalable to ~1.4 GW); Swift Solar acquired Meyer Burger assets to accelerate GW-scale HJT/perovskite-silicon manufacturing in the U.S.; industry data cited includes the EIA forecast to 424 TWh by 2027, China’s ~1,300 GW capacity and >80% supply-chain share, and AI/hyperscalers signing >30 GW of solar PPAs since 2023. The piece is a reporting/analysis article by POWER (Darrell Proctor).
• Apr 29, 2026

  Energy Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on Affordability, Grid Modernization

  The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee questioned utility experts on seven proposed bills about AI and its effects on the energy grid.

  • Main announcement: The Subcommittee reviewed seven bills that would increase agency collaboration, establish a public clearinghouse for “advanced transmission technologies”, and direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to study the real impacts of data centers on utility price hikes; testimony included Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Nick Meyers and other state and business representatives.
  • Background and details: Rep. Bob Latta emphasized the administration’s goal to out-compete China and to “refocus Federal authorities on policies that matter most to the American people: abundant and reliable energy supplies at an affordable price”; Rep. Kathy Castor urged use of modern, fast-emerging tools and cited a Brattle report finding that raising grid utilization above 53 percent could save ratepayers more than $100 billion over the next decade. Meyers warned against overly uniform federal approaches, noting the West’s grid ties to BPA, SRP, WAPA, and cited limiting constraints such as substations, transformers, and interconnection facilities as key issues (also highlighting interconnection queues, supply chain bottlenecks, and permitting reforms).
• Apr 29, 2026

  Light Years Ahead: 123NET’s Amanda Griffith

  The Fiber Broadband Association announced Fiber Connect Conference 2026, a four-day industry conference in Orlando bringing together leaders to discuss fiber broadband technologies, partnerships and policies.

  • Main announcement: Fiber Connect 2026 will be hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association, running May 17–20 as a four-day conference in Orlando with about 5,000 expected attendees; the theme is “Light Years Ahead” and the event focuses on the next wave of connected communities and fiber broadband deployment.
  • Event details and panel announcement: The conference will be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida; Amanda Griffith, Director of Fiber Engineering at 123NET, will participate in the panel “Improving Project Efficiency Through Collaboration, Clarity and Proactive Engagement” scheduled for Monday, May 18.
    • Date range: May 17–20, 2026
    • Panel date: Monday, May 18, 2026
    • Location: Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee, Florida, United States
    • Panel participants: Amanda Griffith (123NET); Moderator Colby Humphrey (Broadband Access Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts); Panelists Laura Kocher (Great Plains Communications), Louis Panzer (NC811.org), Colin Rose (DayStarr Communications)

  Context: This is an event announcement describing agenda and participants rather than analysis or commentary. All facts above are stated in the article.

• Apr 27, 2026

  Residents left furious as their picturesque small town surrounded by forests and nature is set to be 'ruined' by sprawling data centers... but they're refusing to back down

  Cornell Realty Management has applied to develop the Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center and multiple developers are preparing to build several large data centres in Archbald, Pennsylvania.

  • Project scope & developer action: Cornell Realty Management applied for the Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center campus (14 centres across 400 acres) and other proposals could see 51 data warehouses built on ~14% of Archbald’s land; developers claim the campus would be at least 1,500 feet from homes, create 1,280 jobs, be as quiet as a ‘normal conversation’, and use about 50,000 gallons of water a day.
  • Permitting, finances & community response: Developers state the project would generate $7 million in annual borough tax revenue and $23 million for the school system; residents and local officials (including Mayor Shirley Barrett) are actively opposing the plans via a Stop Archbald Data Centers Facebook group (~10,000 members) and council meetings. Additional state and local permits are required and construction could still take months to years to begin even if local approvals advance.