Florida Power & Light (FPL) is pushing one of the largest utility rate hikes in U.S. history — $7 billion over the next four years — and they want everyday Floridians to help foot the bill for energy-guzzling tech giants. That’s not just unfair. It’s outrageous.

At the center of this issue are massive new data centers — facilities that power artificial intelligence, cloud storage, and other big-tech infrastructure. These data centers demand enormous amounts of electricity. To meet their needs, FPL plans to build more power plants and expand the energy grid, then pass those costs on to the rest of us if tech companies fall short of their usage projections.

Originally, FPL proposed a reasonable consumer protection: requiring tech companies to pay 90% of their expected energy costs, even if they didn’t use it all. But now, after backlash over the scale of the rate hike, FPL has cut that protection to just 70% — opening the door for residential customers to absorb the difference.

Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft can afford to pay for their own energy demands. Florida families should not be subsidizing multibillion-dollar corporations while struggling to keep their own lights on.

We call on the Florida Public Service Commission to reject FPL’s rate hike settlement unless it restores the 90% minimum billing requirement for data centers and ensures that no costs from corporate tech expansion are shifted onto residential customers.

Utility bills are already too high for many families across Florida. Allowing FPL to raise rates this drastically — while loosening protections that hold big tech accountable — is a betrayal of the public trust.

Add your name to demand fair rates and strong consumer protections. Big Tech must pay its fair share.