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Escambia To Consider Data Center Ban; FloridaWest Says No Active Talks
June 18, 2026
Escambia County will soon consider an ordinance to ban data centers in the county.
“FloridaWest has never been in active negotiations to build a data center.”
That’s what Chris Platé, CEO of FloridaWest, told the Escambia County Commission on Wednesday night. FloridaWest is the economic development agency for Escambia County.
“That phrase was not mine; it was the media,” he said. “There is no proposal, no incentive commitment, and no pending public action before this board, PEDC (the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission), or FloridaWest.”
He said the reports by Pensacola media that FloridaWest was in active negotiations with a company looking to build a data center were simply not correct.
Platé said it’s the job and purpose of FloridaWest to field inquiries about economic development in Escambia County, and there have been a “handful” of previous data center inquiries that have not moved forwardt. In addition, he said, local resources are limited for data centers.
“FloridaWest does not pursue any standalone or hyperscale data centers,” he said. “They are not on our target list and our regional power capacity cannot support one to begin with.”
“The large scale box that some people are picturing in their mind is not coming here,” Platé (pictured top) added with great emphasis.
“So again, just to make it clear for everybody, we are not in active negotiations with any data center, and that is not an active target for us. We would rather use the resources that they are claiming that a data center would use, for the targeted industries that we have,” Platé concluded.
Dozens of people spoke out against data centers at Wednesday night’s meeting, fueled by online information and rumors that a data center was headed for North Escambia — particularly Century or The Bluffs, a 6,000-acre site in Cantonment generally bordered by Becks Lake Road near International Paper to the north, and the University of West Florida to the south.
Platé repeatedly denied that there are any active data center negotiations. NorthEscambia.com recently sat down with Century Mayor Ben Boutwell and Town Manager Dave Murzin, who both said they had no knowledge of any data center eyeing Century.
On July 23, the county commission will vote to schedule a public hearing on an ordinance to be considered at the August 6 meeting. That ordinance, as recommended by County Attorney Alison Rogers, would not be a data center moratorium but would be an outright ban.
Rogers told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday night that the ordinance could be written to ban data centers only in the unincorporated areas — not in Century or Pensacola, giving the two municipalities an opportunity to decide their own data center future.
“The incorporated areas can do something different,” the county attorney said by text. “We can make ours only the unincorporated area.” The exact language of the ordinance must be approved by the commission.
Comments
11 Responses to “Escambia To Consider Data Center Ban; FloridaWest Says No Active Talks”
In past years Escambia County has tried and have successfully improved the County. If they approve a “Data Center” (Surveillance Center), everything that has been accomplished will be destroyed.
Review Form 10-K reports by big tech giants like Oracle, MicroSoft and Amazon who are end users of data centers to learns more about their activities in Florida. Review Form 10-K reports filed by electricity provider companies to see plans for increased power production, where, and transmission of such power to any “new” locations. The CapEX section and risk assessments are a goldmine of information. Data Centers do run 24/7 at a higher decibel level than neighborhoods and wildlife are used to and a higher vibration level that impacts wildlife as well as humans. There are no baffles built into any homes to stop or dampen those decibil and vibration levels. Texas’ allowable decibel level is higher than other states that is why they went first. Petition OSHA at a national level, IEEE self-regulating type organizations to pressure them to work with regulators to force the decibel and vibrational harmful effects downward. You don’t hear louder noises from paper mill or chemical plant because it is regulated. Data centers are not under the right regulation yet to force building them in a less harmful way.
So, just so we all understand:
Build huge subdivisions around the area without charging the developer proper impact fees, then hit the taxpayer with infrastructure buildouts, massive amounts of chemical runoff into streams and rivers from the new lawns that must be perfect, new massive demands for power and water, increased traffic on already congested roads requiring more be built or widened—all on the overburdened taxpayer—-great.
But a quiet data center is the issue? Got it.
What is a data center?? There are four levels. Small ones contain servers, routers and such to manage multiple computes, this could be in one business or in support of several businesses. They are all over town. NFCU is one. The large ones are involved in stuff like AI and huge math models like FSU has that can handle hurricane inputs. Seems like our elected officials would target specifics and not a term. I’ve researched the down side and have yet seen any specific data. I’m sure its there but I can’t find it.
People aren’t scared of data centers, we don’t want them because we see the consequences of having them in other areas. And don’t sneak one in behind our backs like they have done in those areas. They are being banned everywhere. They require massive amounts of power, putting a stain on the system, they pollute water and air, and farmers will feel the hit, as well. AND we will have to pay for the infrastructure it will require. No, it’s not like the lumber mill. I support a ban.
A data center would bring us only a couple maintenance jobs and would siphon off our resources like water, power, and air quality. not to mention the noise. There is no benefit to us, just to the developer and owners. Take that somewhere else.
No one with deep enough pockets has made a proposal yet, when they do, data centers will suddenly be perfectly safe. Just like all the other manufacturing plants here lol.
Im all for building the data center! People are scared of them but know nothing about them! They’re no worse than the paper mill, ascend, the power plant, all the chemical plants we have. The data centers are alot safer than all of those combined
I’m so glad we’re NOT in any negotiations with a Data Center, which I’m hearing from other sources like our local news station. I love my quiet home and property but I would consider selling if that were, in fact, true. Thank you North Escambia REAL News for clearing that up!
There has been a lot of talk about the data center issue lately, but no one has quoted any objective numbers as to the exact power consumption of a data center, vs another large consumer such as the huge Navy Federal complex.
Now let’s do Santa Rosa County!!