Fact check: What do Central Kentucky House candidates say about AI and data centers?
Central Kentucky congressional candidates Zach Dembo and Ralph Alvarado offered sharply different views on federal involvement in artificial intelligence and data center development. Dembo supports transparency, public hearings, environmental accountability and requiring companies to pay for increased electricity costs, while Alvarado favors reliable energy expansion and leaving siting decisions to local communities.
The Lexington Herald-Leader compared Central Kentucky 6th Congressional District candidates Zach Dembo and Ralph Alvarado on artificial intelligence and data centers. Dembo, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor, said Congress should impose stronger AI safeguards and require transparency and public hearings before data centers are built. He also argued that developers should cover the additional energy costs and environmental impacts associated with their facilities, citing small communities such as Burgin in Mercer County as especially vulnerable in negotiations with large corporations.
Alvarado, a Republican, said artificial intelligence represents a major economic opportunity and that the federal government should focus on reliable energy supplies, transmission upgrades and permitting reform rather than dictate where data centers are located. He maintained that local officials and residents should decide whether their communities host such facilities. The article notes that Kentuckians have protested proposed data centers over public safety, utility bills, job security and other concerns, but it does not identify a specific project decision.