Northeast Kentucky data center draws resident questions on transparency, jobs
A proposed TeraWulf data center in northeast Kentucky's EastPark Industrial Park is facing significant community opposition. Residents raised concerns about transparency, potential jobs, and the project's impact on local water and electricity supplies during a contentious town hall meeting in Catlettsburg, Boyd County. Local officials, including Judge-Executives from Boyd and Greenup counties, were present to address the public's questions, with another meeting scheduled.
A town hall meeting in Catlettsburg, Boyd County, Kentucky, saw strong community opposition to a recently announced data center project by bitcoin mining company TeraWulf at the EastPark Industrial Park. Greenup County Judge-Executive Bobby Hall and Boyd County Judge-Executive Eric Chaney were heckled and booed as they addressed concerns from over 50 residents.
The TeraWulf data center, anticipated to use 1 gigawatt of power over time, raising questions about electricity supply from Kentucky Power, an American Electric Power subsidiary, and potential impacts on residents' bills. Community members also voiced concerns about water usage, the planned closed-loop system, chemical additives, and the discharge of water into local waterways or the Ohio River. Science teacher Aggy Vanderpool submitted 10 questions to officials regarding water treatment capacity.
Residents, including Boyd County's Landen Gould, criticized the non-disclosure agreements signed by local officials and expressed skepticism about job creation. Nicole Lawrence, a Boyd County resident and English professor, spoke emotionally about the land's importance and the perceived negative societal impacts of AI. Officials defended their decisions, with Chaney referencing a similar TeraWulf project in Hancock County as a comparison. The Kentucky General Assembly had previously passed a bill in 2025 granting data centers massive tax breaks, while a 2026 bill to establish utility ratepayer protections failed. A subsequent town hall by TeraWulf is scheduled for June 17.