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Right Now, Century Is The Only Place In Escambia County Where A Data Center Could Be Located
July 26, 2026
Right now, there is only one place in Escambia County where a data center could feasibly be located.
Thursday, the Escambia County Commission voted unanimously for a resolution to ban data centers in the unincorporated area of Escambia County, and it will back it up with an ordinance at a meeting in August.
The City of Pensacola previously approved a one-year moratorium on large-scale or large-load data centers in the city limits. While the moratorium applies to large-scale data centers with greater than a 50-megawatt load, the city attorney says he does not think anything below 50 megawatts would be allowed, according to Rick’s Blog.
That, at least for the next year, effectively bans data centers in unincorporated Escambia County and in the City of Pensacola. Escambia County has two incorporated municipalities — Pensacola and Century.
And Century has not issued a ban or moratorium on data centers of any size, and apparently will not in the near future.
But that does not mean that Century is open for data center business; town infrastructure simply can’t support it, according to Mayor Ben Boutwell.
“The Town of Century cannot support the infrastructure for a data center,” Boutwell told NorthEscambia.com on Friday afternoon. “Where am I going to put it? Where’s the infrastructure? I have two water wells that are down now.”
Century only has three water wells. There are two that can support the town’s needs, but the well on Academy Street is down until it returns to service after completion of an ongoing rehabilitation project. The third well is located at the Century Correctional Institution and is designed to primarily provide water to the prison. That prison well is also out of service, and water has been supplied to the prison by the Town of Century using a temporary interconnect to rural provider Central Water Works over six years. That interconnect started on an emergency basis with fire hoses across Tedder Road and was later upgraded to in-ground piping.
“We simply don’t have water capacity for a data center,” the mayor said.
Both Boutwell and Town Manager Dave Murzin stressed that no one has contacted the Town of Century about potentially locating a data center in the town limits.
“We are monitoring the situation closely,” Murzin said. “If they did, we would work with the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance to define the parameters. I’m not an economic development expert, and the mayor is not an economic development expert. We would look toward people that are.”
As the county finalizes a firm ordinance legally banning data centers, Boutwell said he sees that Century’s path forward on data centers is clear.
“It’s kind of obvious,” he said. “We would follow the county.”
Comments
14 Responses to “Right Now, Century Is The Only Place In Escambia County Where A Data Center Could Be Located”
I hope we have people in charge who are smart enough and understands what a disservice this would be for the Town of Century. The noise from the constant humming, the increase in utility bills for the citizens, the water usage that it takes to run these centers and also other issues. If banning a data center hasn’t been put on the table already; it should be, even before the possibility of the Town being approached.
WE DON’T NEED, WANT AI!
You people crying about data centers when you dont even know how they work. Also they aren’t just for Ai. They’re for cell phones, computers and so fourth.
Escambia County need not worry bout data center. They know copper theft high here!
Pine Forrest, aka NW Pensacola, I have never had my power gone out as many times in my life as here. I’ve lived in may states and other countries too. Not during a hurricane or big lightning strikes. The existing power infrastructure isn’t working, so why would a big data center get priority over the rest of us. Not interested in being hoodwinked into a generac.
We don’t need these negative impacts in our beautiful rural area around Century, FL. (Disadvantages)Electricity consumption: Enormous energy demand that can overload the local grid and drive up rates for residents if clean energy capacity is not expanded. Water consumption: Heavy use of water to cool equipment, which puts a strain on local water supplies. Environmental pollution: Constant noise from cooling fans and frequent use of backup diesel generators. Environmental change: Occupation of large tracts of land, displacing traditional activities such as agriculture.
We need the government officials whose salaries we pay for with our taxes to take positive action for the community they are supposed to represent.
Climate Change. Fracking. Now Data centers are the new bogey man. Ha!!!
What I get out of the story is the Town of Century needs to prioritize getting the well on Academy Street functioning ASAP.
I highly doubt there is a large enough piece of land within the Century city limits to house a data center.
This is no worse than building 10000s of houses every where an taking all the farm land an putting solar panels every where! If they quit building houses people would find some where else to live. Pensacola will never be the same again
The odds of a data center being built here are lower than odds of winning the biggest lottery prize or getting attacked by an orca at Lake Stone. Low priority concern.
WE DON’T NEED AI !
With all the issues that Century has with their infrastructure and just running the town, a data center is the LAST thing that the circus called Century needs! Besides we don’t need any data centers in all of Escambia county.
OH MYyyyyyyyyyyyyyy