Tighter zoning restrictions on data centers moves forward in Hopkinsville
Hopkinsville’s Planning Commission approved a draft ordinance amendment limiting data centers to heavy industrial I-2 zones, moving the proposal toward review by Community and Development Services and the City Council. The regulations would also require measures such as closed-loop water systems. Separately, DarkHorse Technologies has secured a power contract for a proposed 50-megawatt data center and plans to fund a 65-megawatt substation, though no construction plans or exact site have been submitted.
The Hopkinsville Planning Commission advanced a draft data center ordinance after approving an amendment that limits future facilities to I-2 heavy industrial areas rather than allowing them in both I-1 and I-2 districts. The ordinance, developed by Community and Development Services after public hearings and community input, also addresses setbacks, noise buffers and closed-loop water systems. Commission member Ben Bolinger opposed the amendment initially, but the amended draft passed unanimously after he expressed concerns about the lack of a map showing the affected areas.
The proposal must receive additional review from Community and Development Services before it can be presented to the Hopkinsville City Council, which would need to approve it in two votes. The regulatory effort follows DarkHorse Technologies’ announcement of a power agreement with Hopkinsville Electric System for up to 50 megawatts for a planned artificial-intelligence data center, tentatively called Project Truckstop. DarkHorse says it will fund a new 65-megawatt substation and use a closed-loop water system, but the project’s precise location and construction plans have not yet been disclosed.