Why Lawrenceburg Utility Systems says the Flatwoods data center won't raise electric bills
Officials with Lawrenceburg Utility System state that the proposed 4.9-megawatt Flatwoods data center will not raise customer electric bills as an existing substation can handle the demand. They also report that daily water usage for the facility will be very low after initial system cleaning.
Lawrenceburg Utility System (LUS) officials assert that the proposed 4.9-megawatt Flatwoods data center will not lead to increased electric bills for customers. Cameron McCandless of LUS stated that the city's existing substation can accommodate the data center's demand, eliminating the need for new electrical infrastructure and preventing a rise in customer rates.
McCandless also addressed water consumption, explaining that after an initial system cleaning requiring approximately 200,000 to 40,000 gallons, the data center's daily water use would be minimal, comparable to "less than a one-bedroom apartment." He clarified that LUS has not implemented a residential rate increase since October 2023, with any perceived increases attributed to the monthly Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) fuel cost adjustment, which is passed on to all 153 local power companies in the Tennessee Valley to recoup electricity production costs from the previous month.