Data centers can deliver for Florida communities if we get the details right

As more Florida counties weigh data center proposals, residents and local leaders are asking good questions. What does a project mean for the local tax base? Who pays for the infrastructure? What standards protect neighbors?

In a new op-ed in the Miami Herald and the Tallahassee Democrat, Dr. Jerry Haar, professor of international business at Florida International University, and Imran Siddiqui, executive director of the Florida Digital Infrastructure and Security Alliance, take on those questions directly. Drawing on new Florida TaxWatch research, they make the case that data centers can strengthen local tax bases, including in fiscally constrained counties. They argue that clear standards, consistent enforcement and transparency about what host communities get in return are what make that possible.

Your paycheck cleared this morning. Your doctor pulled up a chart. A storm warning reached your phone before the sky changed. Every one of those depended on a building most Floridians will never see and, until about two years ago, never thought about.

Their message to local decision-makers is simple: the goal isn't whether Florida grows its digital infrastructure. It's how we do it responsibly.

Read the full op-ed in the Miami Herald →

Also in the Tallahassee Democrat →

Originally published in the Tallahassee Democrat, October 2, 2026, and republished by the Miami Herald through the USA TODAY Network.