ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — In a report last week, WEAR News told you a data center company is in active negotiations with Escambia County to build a facility here.
Florida West Economic Development says the center would be a couple hundred thousand square feet– which they say is on the smaller side compared to data centers nationwide.
They say it would be built somewhere in the middle of the county.
Across the country, these data center proposals have been sparking mass controversy.
“We don’t want a data center big, small, or in between,” anti-data center advocate Brandy Johnson said. “It is not in the best interest. We have to protect our resources and where we live and raise our children.”
Hundreds have signed a petition– mobilizing against the idea.
“These signatures will be taken to the county commissioners because ultimately they’re elected to represent our best interest, and as of right now a data center is not in the best interest of the citizens of Escambia County,” Johnson said.
From coast to coast– data centers are popping up left and right.
“Let me be clear: we do not want a data center,” Greenville, Wisconsin, resident Melanie Tetzloff said.
Our sister stations have been at packed meetings where residents are expressing concerns being voiced here.
“To know they’re trying to put one in our own backyard is a very scary situation,” Johnson said.
The CEO of Florida West Economic Development said where the placement of one of these facilities would be strategic.
“We would be very considerate of where they need to go,” Florida West Economic Development CEO Chris Plate said. “You would typically not put them close to residential density; you would want to put them a little further out.”
In other communties– data centers built in rural areas have been a cause for concern.
“I moved out to the country to get away from traffic. “Why am I being penalized?” Texas data center nearby resident Rosalie Gray said.
WEAR News asked Escambia County commissioners to weigh in.
Steve Stroberger says he sees data centers as an opportunity for high-paying jobs and diversification of our economy.
He says the county should always be open to economic development opportunities, but he does have concerns about power consumption– water usage, and impact on surrounding communities.
This month, Governor DeSantis signed a new law helping to protect those resources.
“You should not pay one more red cent for electricity because of a hyperscale data center as an individual,” DeSantis said.
For Escambia County residents like Johnson, that isn’t enough to bring peace of mind.
“This is such a critical situation across the entire country,” Johnson said. “To know that now they’re considering here, our home, we can’t let that stand.”
Johnson says Escambia County residents who are against the data center plan intend to speak at the next county commission meeting on June 17.
Individuals wishing to view or sign the petition can do so here.