Echo Communications in Axios

Ahead of this year’s midterm elections, a new report predicts that energy affordability could emerge as a top concern among voters in Florida.

Why it matters: Voters in November will elect a new governor and decide whether to give GOP Sen. Ashley Moody her first full term.

• They’ll also decide a slew of federal, state and local races.

Driving the news: The report by Echo Communications Advisors, a public affairs firm focused on energy and climate, called Florida one of the 10 “energy affordability battlegrounds” for 2026.

• It said it identified battlegrounds based on energy costs, data center proliferation, political stakes and campaign messaging.

What they’re saying: “[Utility affordability] is becoming more of a kitchen table item for families,” Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, climate justice programs manager at Catalyst Miami, told Axios.

• While it’s becoming a source of anxiety across classes, it’s especially true for South Florida’s seniors and those with fixed incomes, she said.

[…]

Zoom in: According to the Echo report, the “proliferation of data centers is now inextricably linked to voter perceptions of rising cost” — including in Florida.

• Per the report, Florida is in the top 10 nationally for existing data centers, with 126 in operation and 15 either planned or proposed.

• A proposed data center in St. Lucie County on the Treasure Coast was met with opposition from residents who feared it could pollute the region and increase utility rates, TCPalm reported.

[…]

The bottom line: “Floridians are having to make trade-offs,” and as a result, “we’re seeing candidates pop up who are talking about utility specifically,” Schubert-Fontes said.

• “We’ve been hearing [about affordability],” she said, “but [now] it becomes a question of who is able to stay in Florida if these increases continue.”