The Most Important Data Center Election You’ve Never Heard Of
Brookfield plans to develop and operate a large data center at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in McCracken County, with NextEra Energy building a roughly 2.5-gigawatt natural gas power plant. The project is driving debate in the county judge/executive election over whether developers should negotiate a community benefit agreement covering housing, emergency services and other local impacts.
The U.S. Department of Energy is allowing a major data center to be developed on the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a federal brownfield site outside Paducah. Brookfield would develop and operate the facility, while NextEra Energy would build power infrastructure including an approximately 2.5-gigawatt natural gas plant. Officials hope the project will help turn the former uranium-enrichment site into an energy and industrial hub.
The project has generated limited organized opposition, although Protect McCracken County remains active. The main local dispute has shifted to the race for McCracken County judge/executive, where Paducah Mayor George Bray is calling for a community benefit agreement with the developers to support housing, volunteer fire districts and other community needs. Incumbent County Judge/Executive Craig Clymer opposes the idea, arguing the project will bring substantial tax revenue without costing residents and that the proposal is politically motivated. Brookfield, the Energy Department and NextEra did not provide comments for the article.