Castillo-Bach calls for ban on data center NDAs and housing fund from Big Tech

By AI, Created 4:48 PM UTC, May 17, 2026, /AGP/ – Florida gubernatorial candidate Evelyn Castillo-Bach is proposing to bar secret deals for data center projects and create a Florida Affordable Housing Fund funded by mandatory payments from Big Tech firms. The plan lands as large hyperscale projects spread across Florida and public scrutiny grows over water use, noise, secrecy and local impacts.

Why it matters: - Florida is seeing a wave of proposed data center projects, and Castillo-Bach is making transparency and local costs a campaign issue. - The proposal would force Big Tech-linked projects to disclose ownership, environmental impacts and infrastructure burdens before approvals move forward. - A Florida Affordable Housing Fund funded by mandatory company payments would tie data center profits to broader community needs.

What happened: - Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a registered Independent voter for more than two decades, is running as a Democrat for Florida governor in 2026. - Castillo-Bach announced two policy positions: ban secret deals and agreements with data center companies, and create a Florida Affordable Housing Fund paid for by mandatory fees from Big Tech data center corporations and affiliates. - The campaign said the housing fund would require mandatory deposits from companies making billions of dollars. - Castillo-Bach said the plan is meant to make Big Tech pay for the resources, infrastructure and environmental costs tied to Florida data centers.

The details: - Castillo-Bach wants public disclosure of all majority and minority ownership interests connected to proposed data center projects. - Her plan calls for independent third-party auditors, engineers and scientists to report projected water and energy use, plus the impact of constant noise and light on nearby communities and nature. - The campaign would prohibit local and state officials and representatives from voting on data center construction or expansion until the independent findings are released and multiple public hearings are held. - Castillo-Bach says data centers should cover the full cost of water and electricity use, environmental remediation and infrastructure needs such as roads, sewer and pipelines. - The campaign says no cost should shift to state or federal taxpayers. - Castillo-Bach said Florida families have a right to know what is being built in their backyards and how much water, noise and nature impact a project will bring. - She also said secrecy agreements called NDAs are hiding facts from people affected by the projects. - The campaign’s stated pillars are Health, Home and Freedom, with the motto People First, Not Politics. - More information is available on the campaign’s website: the campaign site.

Between the lines: - The proposal mirrors a broader national fight over data center secrecy and local control. - An NBC News review of more than 30 data center proposals across 14 states found that in a majority of cases, local officials signed NDAs and worked with entities that obscured the identities of the ultimate Big Tech companies. - At least 10 states have proposed NDA legislation in 2026, according to Governing magazine. - Microsoft said in March 2026 it will no longer use NDAs with local governments, a move that highlights rising pressure on the practice. - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 484 on May 7, 2026, and critics say the law still allows 12 months of secrecy during data center negotiations. - Castillo-Bach argued that 12 months of secrecy still amounts to secrecy and said families should not learn about a data center only after the deal is done.

What’s next: - Florida will continue to weigh multiple large-scale hyperscale data center proposals across the state. - One of the largest is a reported 1.2-gigawatt project in Fort Meade, which won local approval in April 2026 but still faces state water permitting review. - The DeSantis administration, through Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly, reportedly raised major concerns about the Fort Meade project. - Active proposals are also reported in Palm Beach and in Martin, Nassau and Citrus counties. - At least two major proposals have already been withdrawn or canceled because of community opposition and permit challenges, including the Okee-One Data Campus in Okeechobee County and the Silver Fox 606 proposal in Indiantown, Martin County.

The bottom line: - Castillo-Bach is trying to turn data center secrecy into a Florida campaign liability and tie the industry’s growth to housing, transparency and taxpayer protection.