Cloverleaf, residents meet at open house
Lowndes County residents met with Cloverleaf Infrastructure at an open house to voice strong opposition to a proposed hyperscale data center in Burkeville, Alabama. Residents raised concerns about the project's environmental impact, particularly regarding water and electricity usage, despite the developer's promises of job creation and infrastructure improvements. The opposition has been ongoing for weeks, with some residents protesting peacefully outside the meeting.
The article reports on an open house hosted by Cloverleaf Infrastructure on June 3 for a proposed hyperscale data center in Burkeville, Lowndes County, Alabama. This meeting followed weeks of citizen opposition to the project, with hundreds of residents attending, some of whom protested peacefully outside Hayneville Middle School.
Cloverleaf co-founder and CEO David Berry, Chief Development Officer Aaron Bilyeu, and Michael Evans from Project Red Clay were present to address community concerns, including water and energy usage, and permanent job creation. Bilyeu stated the gigawatt data center could create approximately 300 permanent jobs, such as server and fiber technicians, paying around $70,000 annually without requiring four-year degrees.
However, many residents remained unconvinced. Robin Garland, a 37-year resident, protested, citing environmental concerns and existing issues with water and frequent brownouts. Other attendees like Lottie Dixon expressed distrust, questioning whether developers would adhere to initial promises regarding energy use. John and Gina Urquhart, living near the proposed site, felt developers avoided direct answers about property value impacts.
Cindy Lang emphasized Lowndes County's identity as a "family farm county" reliant on wildlife and clean water, asserting the data center would destroy the local environment and negatively impact the entire county.