Louisville, Lexington address data center concerns
Lexington's Urban County Council enacted a moratorium on data center applications until October 31 and plans to develop zoning amendments. Concurrently, the Louisville Metro Planning Commission released a draft ordinance to regulate data center siting, including size restrictions. These actions are driven by community concerns over power consumption and potential utility cost increases from hyperscale data centers.
Kentucky’s two largest cities, Lexington and Louisville, have taken steps to address concerns regarding the development of power-intensive hyperscale data centers. The actions follow growing public concern over the environmental and economic impact of these facilities.
On Tuesday, the Lexington Urban County Council enacted an immediate moratorium on data center applications, effective until October 31. This move was prompted by local advocacy and constituent concerns regarding a developer's plans to expand an existing data center in Fayette County. Council member Emma Curtis noted that residents do not want the expansion, while Mayor Linda Gorton expressed support for tight controls, citing minimal job creation and the potential for increased utility costs for residents.
Simultaneously, the Louisville Metro Planning Commission unveiled a draft ordinance designed to regulate data center locations. The proposed regulations would prohibit data centers larger than 500,000 square feet and restrict facilities over 250,000 square feet to industrial zones. This comes after the Commission previously approved a 1.6 million-square-foot data center in West Louisville despite community pushback, and a separate Louisville committee had tabled a data center moratorium earlier this month.
Brian Davis, director of Louisville’s office of planning, stated that the regulations aim to provide clear standards for both residents and developers, reflecting community feedback and protecting the city's long-term interests. Louisville residents have a 30-day period to submit public comments on the draft ordinance before it is presented to the Louisville Metro Council for consideration.