TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) today expressed strong opposition to data centers in Hillsborough County in a letter to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. Castor highlighted the significant strains on pocketbooks and local resources associated with data center development that can drive up electric and water bills for residents, farmers and small businesses.

In Hillsborough County, the average electric utility bill has increased by over 40 percent in the past five years. Castor’s bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act would require data centers to pay the full costs of energy demand and protect ratepayers from data center rate hikes. 

Castor concluded, “Data centers cannot come at a cost to neighbors who are already facing high grocery, gas, utility, health care and housing costs. We need to make sure these projects actually bring good-paying jobs to our community and that workers, families, and neighborhoods aren’t forced to pay the burden of rapid technology growth, while out-of-state tech billionaires get richer.”

Read the full letter below:

RE: Opposition to Data Center Development in Hillsborough County

Dear Commissioner[s]:

As the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners considers the future of data centers in our community, I would like to relay my strong opposition to the siting of data centers in Hillsborough County. The potential impacts on the cost of living for our residents and on our community’s essential resources are too significant to ignore.

As the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, I have led the national conversation in Congress as we grapple with high energy bills and rising electricity demand from data centers. I’m proud to lead the Ratepayer Protection Act – a bipartisan bill that requires data centers to pay the full costs of their energy demand. Data centers cannot be allowed to pass on their costs to hardworking Florida families and small businesses. The Ratepayer Protection Act would preserve local control over siting and permitting decisions – because these are decisions that should be made by the people and communities where these facilities are being built.

Equally troubling is the immense water usage required for cooling these facilities. In a state where water resources are already under pressure from population growth and climate challenges, diverting millions of gallons for private corporations is neither sustainable nor in the public’s best interest. The county faces moderate to extreme drought conditions, limiting our public water supplies and hurting our farming communities. Hillsborough County and Tampa Bay Water are grappling with huge new water demand requirements and costs. Plant City is already turning to creative water solutions, like reuse for crop freeze protection, and population growth that are threatening local aquifer levels. Community leaders have expressed to me their strong opposition to data centers that could further strain our limited water supplies.

I am also deeply concerned about the new state law permitting nondisclosure agreements for data centers. Secret deals are wrong. This lack of transparency undermines public trust and prevents residents from fully understanding the environmental, economic, and infrastructural impact on their lives. Our community deserves immediate open access to information about developments that could affect our daily lives for decades to come.

Data centers cannot come at a cost to neighbors who are already facing high grocery, gas, utility, health care and housing costs. We need to make sure these projects actually bring good-paying jobs to our community and that workers, families, and neighborhoods aren’t forced to pay the burden of rapid technology growth, while out-of-state tech billionaires get richer.

Please act decisively to protect Hillsborough County’s residents, resources, and long-term sustainability. 

I respectfully urge you to prioritize the public interest over private profit.

Thank you for your time, service, and commitment to our community.