ICYMI: Charles Booker Emerges As Leading Voice In Data Center Opposition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2026
Contact: media@charlesbookerky.org

ICYMI: Charles Booker Emerges As Leading Voice In Data Center Opposition

LOUISVILLE, KY — In recent weeks, Kentucky has become a focal point of a national outcry around data center construction. Just last month, the Department of Energy announced a $100 billion project in Paducah, and a foreign broker debuted plans for a $12 billion center near Ashland. Meanwhile, Kentuckians across the Commonwealth are raising their voices and expressing concern over the explosion of proposed data center.

According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, the tax incentives for data centers stand to cost the state over $1 billion in revenue. This would make it Kentucky’s largest tax expenditure, exceeding funding for public schools and universities. In addition to their likelihood of driving up costs, these projects also pose significant risks to Kentuckians’ health and natural resources.

Charles Booker, Kentucky’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has emerged as a leading voice in the opposition against data centers. He was the first candidate to call for a moratorium on construction and has remained vocal in his opposition, both in the press and on the campaign trail.

Meanwhile, his Republican opponent Andy Barr has long been an ardent supporter of data centers. He routinely heaps praise on newly-announced projects, something presumably owed in part to the fact that the corporations behind the plans are filling his campaign’s pocketbook. He’s taken thousands from Microsoft, AT&T, Comcast, and other Big Telecom companies, sacrificing the well-being of Kentuckians for his own financial gain.

Kentuckians, however, aren’t in favor of policies that help rich executives get richer at the expense of their own well-being. Last week, Louisville Mayor Greenberg signed a six-month ban on new projects, and people across the state are organizing in protest of these new projects. A new report also indicates that the Kentucky General Assembly could reduce or eliminate tax incentives for data centers.

“Kentuckians aren’t about to let outside corporations turn our backyards into their playgrounds, and they’re asserting their right to a voice. While the people of Kentucky obviously don't want data centers here, Andy Barr keeps touting them,” said Charles Booker.

Press Coverage of
Charles Booker Emerged As The Leading Voice In Moratoriums Of Data Centers

Booker Called For A Moratorium While Kentucky And Other States Considered How To Respond To The Rapid Expansion Of Artificial Intelligence. “He also called for a moratorium on new data center construction ‘while we wrap our arms around this revolution.’” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/20/26]

Booker Argued That Kentucky Residents Should Have An Economic Stake In The Data And Technology Being Built From Their Communities. “‘This is another industry that is built on the data and the ingenuity of hard-working people, and we need to make sure that the people of Kentucky have an equity stake and get dividends from it too,’ Booker said.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/20/26]

Booker Was Explicitly Distinguished From Candidates Who Were More Open To Federal Preemption Of State AI Regulation. “Former senate candidate Charles Booker and state House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson both said they would be against preemption.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/20/26]

Andy Barr Pushes Data Centers in Kentucky
Barr Claimed: “Kentucky Is Uniquely Situated To Take Advantage Of U.S. Investments In AI Because Of Its Existing Coal-Fired Production Infrastructure, Plentiful Water Resources, Skilled Workforce And Centralized Location.” “Kentucky is uniquely situated to take advantage of U.S. investments in AI because of its existing coal-fired production infrastructure, plentiful water resources, skilled workforce and centralized location, Barr contends. That gives the state an edge over others where it is cheaper and easier to mine.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 1/7/26]

Barr Claimed: “The Bluegrass State Is Ripe With Resources, AI Data Centers Need To Outpace Foreign Competitors, And Coal-Fired Energy Is The Backbone Of That Strategy.” “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Andy Barr unveiled his plan Monday to jumpstart Kentucky’s beleaguered coal industry by fostering artificial-intelligence infrastructure. The Bluegrass State is ripe with resources AI data centers need to outpace foreign competitors, and coal-fired energy is the backbone of that strategy, Barr told reporters at a press conference in Harlan County Monday morning.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 1/7/26]

Andy Barr Claimed America’s AI Future Will Be Built In Places Like Western Kentucky And Powered By American Energy. “We're proving that America's AI future won't just be in Silicon Valley. It will be built in places like western Kentucky, powered by American energy, built by American workers and driven by American innovation” [Andy Barr, WKMS, 7/30/26]

Paducah Proposed Data Center

The U.S. Department Of Energy Made The Announcement It Will Redevelop Portions Of The Paducah Site Into A Data Center Campus. “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made the announcement today. According to the media release, a partnership with Brookfield, NextEra Energy, Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, and Paducah Power System will redevelop portions of DOE’s Paducah Site into a data center campus accompanied by new affordable energy infrastructure.” [WBKO News, 7/29/26]

The Development Of The Paducah Data Center Was Secured From A More Than $100 Billion Privately Funded Investment, One Of The Largest In Kentucky’s History. “The development of the data center was secured from a more than $100 billion privately funded investment, one of the largest in Kentucky’s history.” [WBKO News, 7/29/26]

Barr Claimed: “After Speaking With Local And State Officials Who Were Strongly Supportive Of This Investment, I Personally Advocated With The Secretary To Help Make The Project Happen.” “After speaking with local and state officials who were strongly supportive of this investment, I personally advocated with the Secretary to help make the project happen.” [U.S. Department of Energy, 7/29/26]

KY Gov. Andy Beshear Said He Has Still Not Been Briefed By The Trump Administration On Plans For A $100 Billion Hyperscale Data Center At The Paducah Site. “Beshear was notably absent from a U.S. Department of Energy event announcing the project and later told the Herald-Leader he wasn’t briefed on it beforehand.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/14/26]

The Proposed Paducah Project Would Include A 1.8-Gigawatt AI Hyperscale Data Center And A 2-Gigawatt Energy Campus. “A plan to retrofit portions of Paducah’s Cold War-era uranium enrichment site into a 1.8-gigawatt artificial intelligence hyperscale data center and a 2-gigawatt energy campus to supply it.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/14/26]

Mercer County Proposed Data Center

Burgin Tried To Annex Land For Panattoni Data Centers To Build A Hyperscale Data Center, Drawing Strong Local Opposition Over Environmental And Land Use Impacts. “In early July, the city of Burgin unsuccessfully tried to advance an ordinance to annex land into its city limits for developer Panattoni Data Centers to build a hyperscale data center. Local residents packed that special Burgin city council meeting voicing a range of concerns over the environmental and land use impacts of such a large data center.” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/13/26]

Panattoni's Proposed Data Center Could Require Up To 1.3 Gigawatts Of Power, Potentially Making It One Of The Largest Data Centers In Kentucky In Terms Of Electricity Demand. “Ben Bradshaw, a Burgin Independent School board member who works for Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities, wrote to fellow board members in June that the data center developer there wants up to 1.3 gigawatts of power.” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/13/26]

LG&E And KU Confirmed The Proposed Data Center Is Planned To Reach 1,300 Megawatts Of Capacity, Although Its Load Requirements Remain Under Evaluation. “In an emailed statement, LG&E and KU spokesperson Liz Pratt said the proposed Mercer County data center is located within the territory of Kentucky Utilities and ‘is proposed to be developed in phases to a capacity of 1,300 megawatts.’” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/13/26]

Kramers Lane Proposed Data Center

A Developer Proposed Converting A 342,720-Square-Foot Warehouse Into A Data Center, Including A Substation, Generator Storage, Additional Fencing And Security Guard Shacks. “An Aug. 10 letter, authored by attorney Nicholas Pregliasco for applicant Dermody Properties, describes plans to convert a vacant 342,720-square-foot warehouse at 3615 Kramers Lane into a ‘telecommunications hotel’ – an outdated classification in Louisville’s Land Development Code that was previously applied to an approved hyperscale data center.” [Courier Journal, 8/12/26]

The Proposed Data Center Regulations Would Affect Louisville And 12 Home-Rule Cities In Jefferson County With Zoning Authority. “The Planning Commission is expected to recommend regulations in the coming weeks, and Metro Council – as well as 12 home-rule cities in Jefferson County with zoning authority – will have final say over them.” [Courier Journal, 8/12/26]

The Kramers Lane Proposal And A Separate 1.6-Million-Square-Foot Data Center Are Both Located In Louisville Metro Council District 1. “The Camp Ground Road data center and Kramers Lane proposal are both in Metro Council District 1, represented by Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins. In a statement posted to social media, Hawkins said she’s aware the plans were filed, adding, ‘I expect my colleagues to support the moratorium.’” [Courier Journal, 8/12/26]

Proposed Data Center in Jefferson County
A Vast Majority Of Louisville Residents Surveyed Opposed Building New Data Centers Anywhere In Jefferson County. “The vast majority of Louisville residents who responded to a survey on data centers said they don't want to see any built in Jefferson County.” [Louisville Public Media, 2/9/26]
Louisville Residents Organized To Push For A Complete Ban On New Data Centers In Jefferson County. “At a press conference earlier this month, activists with the group No Data Center 502 interrupted Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s remarks. The group, which has been pushing Greenberg for a meeting, wants to ban all new data centers in Jefferson County, regardless of size.” [Louisville Public Media, 7/24/26]
Louisville Residents Submitted More Than 3,600 Public Comments On Proposed Data Center Regulations, With Community Concerns Driving Stronger Restrictions. “After reviewing public feedback, the Louisville Metro Office of Planning is recommending even stricter updates to the proposed data center regulations. The updated draft follows more 3,600 comments submitted during the 30-day public comment period for the draft.” [Louisville Public Media, 7/24/26]
Louisville Metro Council Members Introduced A 180-Day Moratorium On New Data Center Applications In Response To Growing Community Concerns. “In response to growing community concerns regarding future data center proposals in Louisville, Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell (D-15) has reintroduced an ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on rezoning, conditional use permits and plan applications relating to telecommunication hotels and data centers pending recommendations from the Planning Commission.” [Louisville Metro Government, 5/11/26]
Citizen-Driven Pushback Against Data Centers
Kentucky Residents Have Organized Across Multiple Communities To Oppose Data Center Projects. “With new hyperscale data center projects popping up across Kentucky over the past year, public meetings have been increasingly full of local residents expressing their concerns, frustration and sometimes vehement opposition about those proposals to elected officials.” [Kentucky Public Radio, 6/8/26]
Residents In Oldham County Organized Against A Proposed $6 Billion Data Center Project On Farmland, Citing Concerns About Pollution And Higher Utility Bills. “Many Oldham County residents were outraged over the lack of transparency from the company and county officials, concerned about the potential pollution and increased utility bills that have plagued other communities neighboring data centers around the country.” [Kentucky Public Radio, 6/8/26]
More Than 1,700 Mercer County Residents Signed A Petition Opposing A Proposed Data Center, While “No Data Center” Signs Appeared Throughout The Community. “A grassroots opposition movement in Mercer County is gaining momentum as residents fight against a potential data center that they say could forever change their rural way of life.” [LEX 18, 2/17/26]
Mercer County Residents Organized Through A Community Group And Called For A Moratorium On Data Center Development. “A lot of people in Burgin and Mercer County, but primarily Burgin right now, just feel like the process is being rushed, that their voices aren’t heard.” [Kentucky Lantern, 7/20/26]
Kentucky Residents' Opposition Has Led Local Governments To Pause Data Center Development, Including A 12 Month Moratorium In Daviess County. “Residents’ passionate opposition to data centers in his county led the local government to enact in late May a moratorium preventing data center construction for the next 12 months.” [Kentucky Lantern, 6/8/26]
Citizen Advocacy Prompted Lexington Officials To Accelerate Action On Data Center Development. “This is a case of an issue being expedited because of constituent concern and advocacy. The people that we represent made it known to us that they don’t want that expansion.” [Kentucky Lantern, 6/10/26]
Louisville Residents Organized To Push For A Complete Ban On New Data Centers In Jefferson County.“At a press conference earlier this month, activists with the group No Data Center 502 interrupted Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s remarks. The group, which has been pushing Greenberg for a meeting, wants to ban all new data centers in Jefferson County, regardless of size.” [Louisville Public Media, 7/24/26]
KY Gov. Andy Beshear Data Center Executive Order
Beshear Signed An Executive Order To Protect Kentucky Communities From The Potential Harmful Impacts Of Data Centers And Give Local Communities A Greater Role In Deciding Whether Projects Move Forward. “Today, the Governor announced that in response to the surging demand for data centers and energy resources across the country, he has signed an executive order to protect against harmful impacts from potential data centers in the commonwealth and empower local communities to be the decision-makers related to these projects.” [Kentucky Governor's Office, 8/6/26]
The Executive Order Came After Growing Citizen Backlash Against Data Centers Across Kentucky, With More Than 30 Counties And Localities Already Passing Temporary Moratoriums. “Proposals for data centers are popping up in communities across Kentucky. Many have just as quickly drawn backlash from residents. More than 30 counties and localities have passed moratoriums to block data center projects for some period of time, according to Energy and Environmental Cabinet Secretary John Lyons.” [Kentucky Governor's Office, 8/6/26]
Beshear's Executive Order Requires Data Center Developers To Prove They Can Build And Operate Without Raising Electricity Costs For Existing Kentucky Families And Businesses. “The executive order requires data center project developers to submit an energy plan to the Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) showing how the company will protect Kentucky families and current businesses by not raising electric bills. The executive order also requires the Public Service Commission (PSC) to prohibit utility companies from increasing rates to recover costs caused by the development or operations of a data center.” [Kentucky Governor's Office, 8/6/26]
The Executive Order Gives Kentucky The Ability To Block Data Center Projects That Fail Environmental Requirements, Including Projects That Negatively Affect Air, Water, Wetlands Or Other Natural Resources. “Beshear said his executive order would direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet, which issues permits to industrial sites that set limits on air and water pollution, to deny permits to any data center site that would negatively impact air quality; water quality, usage and supply; federally protected wetlands and ‘natural resources’.” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/6/26]
The Order Requires Data Center Developers To Engage Directly With Local Communities And Allows Projects To Move Forward Only If They Meet The State's New Requirements And Have Community Support. “To be clear, this order doesn’t say yes to any data center – that’s up to the local community. But it does say no to any center not meeting the requirements.” [Kentucky Governor's Office, 8/6/26]
Mercer County And Jefferson County Data Center Moratoriums
Mercer County Passed A One-Year Moratorium On Data Center Construction After Months Of Turmoil Over Whether The Rural Community Should Welcome A Hyperscale Data Center. “On Tuesday, the Mercer County Fiscal Court passed a one-year moratorium on data center construction, the latest turn over months of tumultuous debate in the rural county over whether the community should welcome a hyperscale data center project.” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/13/26]

The County's Data Center Moratorium Does Not Apply To Land Inside Burgin, A Small Mercer County City Without A Planning Or Zoning Body. “But that county moratorium on data center construction doesn’t include land within the bounds of one small Mercer County city that doesn’t have a planning or zoning body.” [Kentucky Lantern, 8/13/26]

Louisville Officials Put A Southwest Louisville Data Center Application On Hold As Metro Council Prepared To Vote On A 180-Day Moratorium. “Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at an Aug. 12 news conference that he has directed his administration to put the application on hold to give Metro Council the chance to approve a 180-day moratorium on data center applications at its Aug. 13 meeting.” [Courier Journal, 8/12/26]

Mayor Craig Greenberg Said There Was Broad Bipartisan Support For The Moratorium And That He Would Sign It If Passed. “‘My understanding from talking to several council members is that there is broad, bipartisan support for the ordinance as it is written, and that no further changes are needed for it to reach my desk,’ Greenberg said. ‘I support that moratorium, as I’ve mentioned before, and if the council passes the moratorium tomorrow night, I will sign it into law, and we will proceed accordingly.’” [Courier Journal, 8/12/26]