Hopkinsville residents, tech company weigh in on proposed data center regulations
Hopkinsville, KY, is working to establish new regulations for data centers, prompting a public hearing where residents voiced concerns about noise, water, electricity use, and utility bills. Dark Horse Technologies, a company operating an existing cryptocurrency mining facility and planning a larger AI data center, shared its perspective, supporting clear rules while also critiquing some proposed restrictions.
Hopkinsville, KY, is in the process of drafting new regulations for data centers after a public hearing on September 28, where community members and a tech company shared their insights. Residents expressed concerns about the location of existing data centers, potential noise, water and electricity usage, and the impact on utility bills, with some advocating for stronger regulations or even a two-year moratorium on development.
Dark Horse Technologies, which operates a cryptocurrency mining facility in Hopkinsville and plans to convert it into an AI data center while also building a separate 50-megawatt data center, participated in the hearing. Thomas Serro, representing the company, supported clear regulations and clarified that their proposed data centers are smaller than the massive campuses built by larger tech companies. He detailed plans for a closed-loop cooling system to conserve water and outlined the company's commitment to covering infrastructure costs for electricity connections.
Robert Ison, attorney for Dark Horse Technologies, also backed regulations but argued that some proposed rules were excessive. He suggested that data center size should be measured by actual building footprint, not surrounding equipment. Ison also questioned a requirement for conditional use permits for data centers in areas already zoned heavy industrial, stating that compliant facilities should be allowed without additional approval. The city's Community and Development Services will now draft an ordinance to be considered by the Hopkinsville City Council.