A data center insider wants to halt their construction in Kentucky
News ClipWKU Public Radio·Franklin, Simpson County, KY·5/11/2026
A former data center executive, Erin Petrey, is advocating for a moratorium on data center construction in Kentucky until state regulations are established. This initiative seeks legislation for the 2027 General Assembly, driven by concerns over unchecked growth, environmental impact, and local communities fending for themselves against developers. Local opposition and legal challenges are already active in specific counties like Simpson and Mercer regarding proposed projects and ordinances.
moratoriumgovernmentzoningoppositionlegalenvironmentalelectricitywater
Gov: Kentucky General Assembly, Mercer County Planning and Zoning Commission, Simpson County, Franklin Planning and Zoning Commission, US Senator Rand Paul, Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Erin Petrey, a former Amazon Web Services executive and Democratic congressional candidate for central Kentucky, is leading a bipartisan initiative to introduce state-level legislation for a data center moratorium in Kentucky by the 2027 General Assembly. Petrey argues that without state regulations, data center developers exploit poor, rural communities by offering significant tax revenue while consuming vast amounts of energy and water, generating noise, and causing environmental pollution. She advocates for government regulation as the primary driver for sustainable practices in the industry.
The discussion highlights current local struggles, such as Franklin residents protesting a proposed AI data center and a local citizens' group filing a lawsuit against the Franklin Planning and Zoning Commission's approval of a $1.6 billion data center in Simpson County. Simultaneously, TenKey LandCo, LLC is challenging a Simpson County ordinance aimed at increasing oversight of data center operations. Petrey also addressed the Mercer County Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a proposed ordinance for a new data center development, which has not yet resulted in formal re-zoning or site plan approvals.
While no U.S. state has enacted a data center moratorium, several cities and counties have, and at least a dozen states, including Kentucky, have proposed such legislation. Previous attempts in Kentucky's General Assembly to mandate developers cover infrastructure costs stalled. Federal figures like Senator Rand Paul advocate for local control, while Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act, underscoring national concerns about the unregulated growth of the industry. Petrey aims for her statewide efforts to pave the way for a federal moratorium, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive regulation to manage the industry's inevitable expansion responsibly.