Residents of Mercer County, Kentucky, have rallied in opposition to a proposed data center that would be built on hundreds of acres of prime farmland.
Local residents expressed deep concerns about the project’s potential impact on human lives, animals, and the area’s resources.
“I have a pretty big breeding program which is also very scary because these data centers cause animals a lot of stress and nerves and it’s very detrimental to breeding horses,” said Caitlyn Cooper, who owns a horse stable in the area.
Cooper emphasized that the proposed site sits on prime farmland, surrounded by around 50 homes and multi-generational farms. She urged officials to build any technical development on the county’s industrial park instead of over 500 acres of beneficial farming land.
“I’ve gotten to meet a lot of my neighbors through all of this and they have been here for generations,” Cooper said. “There’s some people that have been here over a hundred years with their family. They’re losing their heritage, their tradition.”
Resident Zach Workman is also mobilizing his community through door-to-door outreach.
“The water bill goes up, the electric bill goes up, and taxes go up,” Workman said. “People’s property value go down. So we’re trying to stop that.”
Workman has started petitions and set up at local businesses, urging neighbors to attend public meetings.
More than 1,700 residents have signed a petition opposing the potential data center in Mercer County, with dozens gathering at a public meeting on Wednesday night to voice their opposition.
“Because once it’s built, there’s no turning back. The structure will be there and it’s not, it’ll be irreversible,” one resident said.
Local residents first learned about the project several months ago through a LinkedIn post from a Chicago-based group seeking investors. Since then, they have been searching for answers.
Residents also expressed fears that the project could set a precedent for future development across rural communities.
“Once you start going down that road of zoning farmland for data centers, where does it stop? At that point, there’s no farm safe in Mercer County, no rural community that’s going to be safe,” Dean said.
“You would like to think that your utilities would not go up – water, electricity – somebody is gonna have to bear the cost,” Dean added.
The Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority reported receiving numerous inquiries about data centers in the area. They noted that the county’s extremely high voltage transmission lines and power plant make it a sought-after location for such projects.
Meanwhile, local schools are weighing in on the potential development. In an official statement, school officials said they aren’t taking any sides but mentioned that a project of this size could generate nearly $30 million annually in local school revenue.