(PENSACOLA) --- The Pensacola City Council will hold a public hearing on July 16 on a proposed moratorium that would temporarily pause the construction of new large-scale data centers and other massive electricity users within city limits.
The stated goal is to give city staff time to study impacts before more projects move forward. But as written, only the largest facilities would be paused; everything smaller would still be allowed.
If passed, the moratorium would halt applications for one year on any new "large load customer facilities" and "large-scale data centers" while the city reviews the issue.
(Photo: City of Pensacola Ordinance against large-scale data centers)
The ordinance states: "During the moratorium period, Pensacola city staff shall conduct a comprehensive review of the potential impacts associated with large-scale data center and large load customer facilities."
That review would look at water, power, infrastructure, and community impacts.
The ordinance only covers facilities at 50 megawatts or more. The definition from the proposed text reads “Large load customer facility means a facility or use with an anticipated monthly peak electric load of 50 megawatts or more.”
The ordinance also protects the city from edge data centers, which are clusters of smaller data centers that operate as a single entity. The ordinance states that a customer, applicant, owner, operator, or other entity may not separate an electrical load into multiple smaller connections.
The ordinance also clarifies data center size: “Large-scale data center means a single location, with a data center on site, that has an anticipated monthly peak electric load of 50 megawatts or more.”
50 MW is enormous for a single site, as it can power roughly 10,000 to 15,000 homes at once. One 50-MW facility would use as much electricity as a small town does, 24/7. Take, for example, a typical grocery store that uses 0.2 MW, or a hospital that uses 2-5 MW. A 50 MW data center uses 10-25 times that.
(Photo: City of Pensacola Ordinance against large-scale data centers)
The ordinance does not touch anything under 50 MW. Meaning a cluster of “small” data centers spread across different parcels could still apply during the moratorium period.
That leaves the City wide open for smaller and medium data centers to move forward without additional review, even as staff studies the impacts of large ones.
(Photo: City of Pensacola Ordinance against large-scale data centers)
The Pensacola City Council will hear from residents, then vote on whether to enact the moratorium this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at 222 W. Main St.
Escambia County and Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners are also having public hearings. Escambia County’s public hearing on a data center ban is on Jul. 23 at 5:30 p.m., and public comment starts at 4:30. Santa Rosa’s second public hearing for a moratorium is on Jul. 23 at 5 p.m.
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