Escambia District 1 Deserves Answers About the Proposed AI Data Center

By Francesca Yabraian Candidate for Florida House District 1

f Billion-dollar corporations and federal agencies can be hacked, are we really supposed to believe Escambia County has nothing to worry about?

Who I Am

I am running for Florida House District 1, and I am committed to listening to residents across all of our communities, including Century, Cantonment, Molino, Walnut Hill, Bratt, McDavid, Gonzalez, Ensley, Ferry Pass, Brent, and the surrounding areas that make up our district.

I Am Not Against Technology

Technology can be powerful. It can connect people, improve services, and create opportunity. I know that firsthand.

I have more than 20 years of experience in information technology. I have worked in both the private and public sectors, including supporting technology operations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and working in federal information technology and emergency management roles.

I also served as an Emergency Management Specialist at DHS Headquarters. My work included emergency planning, infrastructure security, disaster response, and helping organizations prepare for emergencies.

That experience matters. I understand the good that technology can do. I also understand the risks when large projects are pushed into communities without enough planning, transparency, or protections.

Why I Am Concerned

I am deeply concerned about the push to bring a large AI data center into Escambia County.

Let me be clear: I am not against technology. I am against risky, poorly explained, corporate-driven projects being pushed into communities that are already dealing with infrastructure problems, storm recovery, cybersecurity risks, and long-term investment needs.

If this project is so good for District 1, then answering basic questions should not be a problem.

The people of District 1 deserve real investment. They deserve safe roads, reliable drainage, strong infrastructure, good jobs, and leaders who listen. What they do not deserve is a corporate sales pitch wrapped in the words “economic development.”

Cybersecurity Should Be a Major Concern

One of my biggest concerns is cybersecurity.If foreign hackers and ransomware groups have been able to attack Microsoft, hospitals, energy companies, government agencies, water systems, and other major organizations, then residents have every right to ask:

Are we really supposed to believe Escambia County is magically prepared to handle the cybersecurity risks of a massive AI data center when giant corporations and federal agencies with billion-dollar resources have already been breached?

Here are real examples:

• Microsoft Exchange Hack: China-linked hackers exploited Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities, affecting organizations across the country and showing that even major technology systems can be vulnerable.

• Russian Energy Sector Attacks: CISA, the FBI, and the Department of Energy reported that Russian government-backed hackers targeted U.S. and international energy organizations for years.

• Chinese Critical Infrastructure Attacks: CISA reported that China-linked hackers targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, including communications, energy, transportation, and water systems.

• Hospital Cyberattack: The Change Healthcare cyberattack disrupted healthcare systems across the country, affecting claims, pharmacies, and patient services.

That is why residents deserve real answers before anyone tells us this project is safe. If Microsoft, hospitals, energy companies, water systems, and government networks can be attacked, then Escambia County should not be expected to blindly believe that an AI data center here would somehow be immune to those same risks.

This is not fearmongering. It is common sense.

Residents Deserve Cybersecurity Answers

Before any AI data center moves forward, residents deserve clear answers.

Not after construction starts. Not after permits are approved. Before.

• What data will be stored or processed there?

• Who controls that data?

• What cybersecurity protections will be required?

• Who is responsible if hackers get in?

• Will local emergency management and law enforcement be included in planning?

• What happens if a cyberattack affects power, water, communications, or emergency response?

These are not extreme questions. They are basic questions.

Infrastructure Is Already a Serious Issue

Cybersecurity is only part of the story.

Residents are also being asked to accept a project that could place major demands on local infrastructure, electricity, and water resources. Before anyone rushes to call this progress, people deserve to know what the real impact will be on the communities that have to live with it.

AI data centers are not ordinary office buildings. They are large industrial facilities that can use enormous amounts of electricity and water.

For communities like Century and the rest of District 1, those questions matter.

Many of our communities have dealt with flooding, hurricane damage, drainage problems, and aging infrastructure. Residents already know what happens when roads, drainage systems, utilities, communications systems, and emergency services are stretched too thin.

So are we really supposed to believe that adding a massive AI data center will have no serious impact unless residents ask questions first?

As someone who worked in emergency management at DHS Headquarters, I learned that infrastructure problems are not just economic problems. They are public safety problems.

When roads flood, when utilities fail, or when critical systems are overloaded, it is local families who pay the price.

Residents Deserve Infrastructure Answers

Before any large project moves forward, residents deserve clear answers:

• How much water will the facility use?

• How much electricity will it require?

• Can local infrastructure support it?

• What upgrades will be needed?

• Who will pay for those upgrades?

• What happens if those systems fail during a disaster?

Residents are not being unreasonable. They are asking the questions any responsible community should ask.

The Jobs May Not Match the Local Workforce

Let’s be honest: calling this a major “job creator” risks pulling the wool over people’s eyes.

Communities like Century, Cantonment, Molino, Walnut Hill, Bratt, and other parts of District 1 are proud blue-collar communities. Our workforce is built around skilled trades, construction, agriculture, transportation, public safety, service work, and hands-on labor.

An AI data center may create temporary construction jobs. But once it opens, many of the permanent jobs are specialized roles in IT, engineering, cybersecurity, network operations, and facilities management.

Those jobs often require training, certifications, or experience that many local workers may not have. As someone who has spent more than two decades working in information technology, I understand the workforce requirements of these facilities. That is why I am asking whether the permanent jobs being promised are jobs will realistically go to the people of District 1.

Before anyone sells this project as a local jobs miracle, residents deserve the truth:

• How many permanent jobs will there actually be?

• How many will go to people who already live in District 1?

• What will they pay?

• What training will be provided?

• Will this project truly benefit our communities, or just give outside corporations a convenient talking point?

Economic development should not be a sales pitch. It should deliver real opportunities for the people who live here.

Privacy and Data Security Matter

AI data centers are not just warehouses filled with servers. They are part of a larger technology system that stores, processes, and moves massive amounts of information.

That means privacy matters.

My background in information technology has taught me the importance of data security, records management, system backups, access controls, and accountability.

Residents deserve clear answers about what data may be stored, who controls it, how it is protected, and what safeguards are in place.

Again, if this project is so safe and so good for District 1, then transparency should not be a problem.

This Should Not Be About Party Politics

This issue should be bigger than politics.

Whether someone is a Democrat, Republican, independent, or no party at all, everyone deserves clean water, reliable infrastructure, privacy protections, cybersecurity protections, transparency, and a voice in decisions that affect their community.

I respectfully disagree with Rep. Michelle Salzman on many issues affecting District 1, and I believe this proposal deserves a full public discussion focused on facts, not political talking points.

Escambia County Should Not Rush

Escambia County should not rush into becoming a hub for AI industrial expansion without public meetings, environmental reviews, infrastructure studies, cybersecurity plans, privacy safeguards, written guarantees, and full disclosure of both the benefits and the risks.

Economic development should improve a community’s quality of life — not gamble it away for corporate promises.

The people making promises today may not be around years from now if problems arise. The people who will still be here are the residents of District 1.

The people of Century, Cantonment, Molino, Walnut Hill, Bratt, McDavid, Gonzalez, Ensley, Ferry Pass, Brent, and every corner of District 1 deserve to have their voices heard before decisions are made that could affect their communities for generations.

That is the kind of leadership I am committed to providing.

Francesca YabraianCandidate for Florida House District 1Former DHS Headquarters Emergency Management Specialist 20+ Years Information Technology Experience vote4francesca.com

Sources:

CISA — Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilitieshttps://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa21-062a

CISA/FBI/DOE — Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Targeting Energy Sectorhttps://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa22-083a

CISA — PRC State-Sponsored Actors Compromise U.S. Critical Infrastructurehttps://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa24-038a

American Hospital Association — Change Healthcare Cyberattackhttps://www.aha.org/change-healthcare-cyberattack-underscores-urgent-need-strengthen-cyber-preparedness-individual-health-care-organizations-and