Community groups protest data center and energy expansions

Residents and community organizations in Jessamine County, Kentucky, and Rowan County, North Carolina, are calling for restrictions on the development of large-scale data centers and energy infrastructure.

In Jessamine County, a petition has gathered nearly 600 signatures seeking an extension or ban on hyperscale data centers in Nicholasville and the surrounding area. Opponents cite concerns regarding high electricity and water consumption, noise pollution, impacts on wildlife, and the potential for industrial land loss. Local officials, including Nicholasville City Commissioner Bethany Davis-Brown, have expressed a need for more data regarding the long-term effects of such facilities and the risk of building obsolescence.

In North Carolina, groups including Down Home North Carolina and Yadkin Riverkeepers have protested proposed data centers and expansions at Duke Energy’s Buck Station. Activists are advocating for a two-year statewide moratorium on data center development. Concerns raised include the strain on water quality and quantity due to cooling requirements, increased stormwater runoff, and the potential for energy expansion costs to be passed on to consumers.