POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Standing in the heart of Polk County on Thursday, Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Jay Collins drew a line in the sand regarding the digital gold rush currently sweeping the Sunshine State.
The decorated Green Beret officially rolled out his “Florida Strong” plan, a policy framework designed to ensure the massive data centers required for Artificial Intelligence don’t come at the expense of the average Floridian’s utility bill or local autonomy.
The core of the proposal centers on a “Florida First” approach to energy and infrastructure. Collins made it clear that while technology is evolving, the state’s energy independence is not up for negotiation.
“We cannot sacrifice energy independence or affordable electricity for working families,” Collins told the gathered press. “Keeping Florida Strong requires operators to fully fund infrastructure, respect local veto authority, and meet enhanced transparency standards. We must ensure AI data centers operate on Florida’s terms.”
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The plan is built upon five specific pillars. To protect the state’s power grid, the “Energy on Demand” pillar mandates a zero-transfer-of-cost policy, meaning no subsidies for tech giants and no price hikes for residents to cover industrial energy needs. Environmentally, the plan requires site-specific reviews that include strict water caps and noise limits, steering development toward brownfield or inland sites to protect natural habitats.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the plan moves into the digital realm with safety and content mandates. Collins is calling for “model-level safety filters” to flag or block content related to self-harm and homicide, requiring real-time human escalation to law enforcement. Additionally, the “Data Pure” pillar seeks to prohibit the embedding of specific ideological doctrines—such as DEI mandates or climate alarmism—in AI training models without explicit disclosure.
Finally, the plan insists on a “human-in-the-loop” requirement, ensuring that high-stakes decisions in fields like medicine, law, and public safety are never left solely to an algorithm.
Joining Collins were industry and grassroots leaders who echoed the need for a balanced approach to the tech boom. Jason Herring, Founder and CEO of VIVIFY Technology, spoke on the necessity of maintaining grid stability and affordable power while integrating new systems.
Alice Rothbauer, Florida State Director for Humans First, represented the grassroots perspective, emphasizing that the future of AI must remain in the hands of the people rather than unchecked corporations.
By requiring annual independent audits and giving local municipalities the right to veto projects, the Florida Strong plan seeks to place the state at the forefront of AI regulation.
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