Louisville data center opponents rally at Metro Hall, push for stronger regulations
Opponents of a hyperscale data center under construction in southwest Louisville rallied at Metro Hall, demanding a halt to the project and a ban on future developments. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has proposed new regulations that would ban all new hyperscale data centers and strengthen environmental protections.
Opponents of a hyperscale data center on Campground Road in southwest Louisville, led by the group No Data Center 502 and supported by District 3 Councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright, rallied outside Metro Hall. The group demands an immediate halt to the Poe Companies' data campus project, which includes seven warehouse-sized buildings and a dedicated substation, and a ban on future hyperscale data center developments.
Councilwoman Parrish-Wright, who is also running for mayor, criticized the current regulatory proposals as insufficient, calling them a "temporary band-aid." The Mayor's office, however, stated that Mayor Craig Greenberg's proposal aims to ban all new hyperscale data centers in the city and introduce comprehensive new regulations. These proposed regulations, which are the result of months of public feedback, six public meetings, and thousands of comments, seek to protect utility customers, enhance neighborhood and environmental safeguards, increase transparency, and ensure prevailing wages during construction. The mayor's office highlighted that the existing project was permitted under old regulations in an area already zoned for heavy industrial use, emphasizing the need for updated rules.