Escambia Commission Approves Ordinance Banning Data Centers, Starting Process For Moratorium

August 7, 2026

The Escambia County Commission is making it abundantly clear — data centers are not welcome or allowed in the county.

On Thursday night, the commission approved an ordinance banning large-scale data centers in the unincorporated areas of Escambia County outside the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century. And, the commissioners started the legal process to also implement a moratorium.

The actions came on the heels of a resolution approved in late July that officially memorializes the county’s position that data center facilities are not permitted under the County’s Land Development Code and are not an appropriate form of development within the unincorporated area of Escambia County.

William Nelson, county attorney designate, said the ordinance was acceptable, but not required, to clearly ban data centers.

“In my opinion, the cleanest thing to do is to continue to use the Land Development Code because it prohibits these activities because they are not specifically included in the code,” he said.

‘It’s just not permitted, and I think the problem is if we start trying to define this ourselves, then we are going to have problems,” Commissioner Steve Stroberger said.

“I think that is correct,” Nelson responded. “When we get into some of these definitions, the very technical aspects of this are unclear.”

Commissioner Mike Kohler called for approval of the ordinance and a moratorium on data centers, with other commissioners concurring.

“If that is what is going to take to ensure an additional blanket level for our community, I don’t have an issue with that,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said.

“It’s banned, clearly, because the Land Development Code does not allow for it,” Commissioner Lumon May, who cast the lone vote against the resolution, said. “It’s banned. So when we say we are going to do a moratorium, well you’ve lessened the ban. Just be consistent with what we have already been doing.”

Nelson said a moratorium would require two noticed public hearings before a vote, and was not an available option for Thursday night’s action.

At a future meeting, the commission will vote on advertising the two public hearings in order to vote on a data center moratorium.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES