Burgin data center proposal stirs protest, as annexation vote barely clears council
A data center proposal in Burgin, Kentucky, led to the City Council narrowly voting to annex county land for the project, despite vocal objections from residents concerned about environmental and historical impacts. This decision comes amidst broader resident anger over data center developments across Kentucky, including a moratorium enacted in Lexington.
The Burgin City Council in Kentucky recently approved an ordinance to annex county land intended for a proposed data center, despite significant public opposition. Residents of Mercer County, joined by the president of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, voiced concerns regarding the project's potential impact on the local ecosystem, historical character, and tourism.
Erin Petrey, founder of Demanding Data Center Accountability, criticized the Burgin vote and other data center advancements across Kentucky, stating that residents feel unheard and distrustful of local officials' actions. She highlighted that the annexation, which would double Burgin's size for the data center, is unsettling for many. This development follows a moratorium on major data center projects enacted by the Lexington council, which will last until the end of October and aims to ban large operations from Fayette County while allowing smaller ones.