Louisville data center opponents ask Greenberg to 'pick a side'
Opponents of data centers in Louisville, led by No Data Center 502, protested at Metro Hall, urging Mayor Craig Greenberg to take a stronger public stance against a hyperscale data center on Camp Ground Road and future projects. Mayor Greenberg has proposed new regulations to ban all new hyperscale data centers and will hold public hearings on the matter.
The group No Data Center 502 held a protest on the steps of Louisville Metro Hall, demanding Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, explicitly oppose a hyperscale data center on Camp Ground Road and future developments. Led by District 3 councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright, the group cited concerns about increased electric bills, pollution, fossil fuel use from diesel generators, and negative health impacts on the community.
Mayor Greenberg's office released a statement indicating his proposal to ban all new hyperscale data centers demonstrates his stance. His administration is advocating for new regulations that would include stronger neighborhood and environmental protections, increased transparency, guarantees for utility customers, and prevailing wages for construction. The existing Camp Ground Road project was permitted under old regulations in an area already zoned for heavy industrial use.
No Data Center 502 spokesperson Nina Powell expressed strong concerns that the existing project and inadequate regulations could disproportionately affect residents with limited healthcare access. The group also criticized developer Steve Poe, asserting he was 'gambling with our health.' The first of four public hearings on the proposed data center regulations is scheduled for July 27 at Jefferson Community and Technical College Southwest Campus, following over 3,600 public comments.