FloridaWest says the community does not need to worry about a “mega box” AI data center setting up shop in Escambia County.
Leadership for the area’s primary economic development organization wanted to make that clear after many people were upset over reports that they were in “active negotiations” with a company that has plans to build an AI data center here.
“We’re not even close to having active negotiation,” FloridaWest Executive Director Chris Platé said.
Platé said what is true is that a company with the defense industry approached FloridaWest about possibly building a “smaller” AI data center, in the “north” part of the county, and “not in a populated area.”
The details, like the name of the company and the exact location it’s scouting, are under wraps because FloridaWest signed a non-disclosure agreement with the business, a typical part of the process.
Platé said it’s also typical for any company interested in doing business in Escambia County to go through the due diligence process.
He said this is not a project FloridaWest sought, out but when the company approached them, they opened the door to discuss the possibility.
“We’re in the early stages with a project that’s looking,” Platé said. “It’s on the smaller end of data centers. That’s the only reason we’re really even talking with them. We’re just in the very beginning stages.”
Concern about data centers
Big or “smaller,” the possibility of any data center coming to Escambia County sparked enough concern that some have banded together to fight it.
Sarah Setta is one of the page administrators of the newly formed Facebook page: Escambia County Residents say No to Data Centers.
There are 161 members as of May 27, 2026, and their petition opposing the project gathered about 2,600 signatures in four days.
She said they’re opposed to data centers in Escambia County—no matter the size—due to what they believe is a lack of transparency and potential negative impacts.
They want to know much more about data centers before any are built here, from the impact on the environment like size, noise, pollution and tremendous power and water demands, to the number and types of jobs they would provide.
They also question what would become of any buildings should they become obsolete, and they’re concerned this particular project would negatively impact a more low-income neighborhood if it were to happen.
“It’s a whole list of what if’s that can happen, and we’re just really concerned. We’re really worried,” Setta said. “We don’t want it.”
The group is currently planning protests. You can find the information on their social media.
“Join us as we build community and make signs for the Pensacola Says NO to Data Center protest (June 11th 5pm corner of Palafox & Garden) and county commissioner meeting (June 17 4:30 221 Palafox Place),” one person wrote. “We will meet at the cute pink building at 888 W. Michigan Ave. this Saturday May 30th at noon.”
The issue caught the attention of Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves who mentioned it at a May 26 press conference.
“Data centers are nowhere on our priority list for economic development inside the city limits,” Reeves said. “We’re hyper focused on ship building, aerospace, cybersecurity and making sure that Pensacolians who grew up here have an opportunity for quality of life. I certainly have concerns for environmental impacts and there’s a lot we don’t know on this. I can only speak for the city that a data center is nonexistent for how we move our city forward.”
Platé said he understands people are still learning about data centers, and the larger ones especially come with a lot of legitimate concerns.
He added that Escambia County isn’t equipped to power or support an AI data center of that magnitude even if the county wanted one and approved it, which they don’t and haven’t, he said.
“When you paint with the data center brush, everyone’s thinking these mega boxes,” Platé said. “That’s not at all what we would ever consider. Data centers come in all kinds of sizes. You can have a data center that’s 5,000 square feet that just supports somebody really small in a small way.”
The FloridaWest executive director said the unnamed-defense related company first reached out last fall, and representatives have made several trips to the area but not in the past month or two.
“While we’re talking, it’s not active in that sense,” he said. “We have a lot of projects that are kicking tires just like this one. They could ghost me tomorrow.”
This isn’t the first company to propose a data center in Pensacola. Another business was talking to FloridaWest last year about a possible data center at the Pensacola Technology Park but Platé said interest “fizzled.”
Escambia not in market for big AI data center
Experts say there are critical differences between small-scale and hyperscale AI data centers.
Guillermo Francia III, the director of research and innovation at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity, says there are typically two types:
Francia suggests the community could benefit from “smaller-scale” data centers, as they are “doable” without the same severe environmental risks or power drains.
“In my opinion, a hyperscale data center in Pensacola or in this Northwest Florida region is like overkill. We don’t want that one,” Francia said.
He echoed Platé’s points that the area isn’t equipped for hyperscale data center regardless.
“Florida Power and Light’s capacity in Northwest Florida is only 36 megawatts, whereas a hyperscale data center would require 50 to 150 megawatts, which is five times more that is required from what is being served to the community,” Francia said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also recently signed SB 484, a bill designed to protect ratepayers and the environment from the impacts of hyperscale data centers, creating significant hurdles for their establishment.
Escambia open for business
Platé said the smaller AI data center is appealing because it supports the “defense AI side of things.”
Defense AI is one of FloridaWest’s four areas of focus along with aerospace, maritime and life science, and it “can tie back to aerospace or maritime or anything else.”
Platé said this connection makes an AI center potentially valuable for strengthening these existing sectors.
As far as the economic impact, he said AI data centers in general don’t provide a tremendous number of jobs or “send a lot of kids to school, it just pays taxes,” which is helpful in offsetting other costs.
Platé said economic development projects like it typically take 18 months for negotiation, and 18 months to build out, and this particular project is not at either stage.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Defense AI data center eyeing Escambia. FloridaWest says nothing to fear
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
