JESSAMINE/SCOTT COUNTY, KY. (LEX NEWS) — Georgetown and Nicholasville held separate community meetings Monday night centered on the same concern: how to get ahead of potential data center development before proposals arrive.
In Georgetown, the conversation focused on a moratorium already in place in Scott County — a pause, not a ban, on data center development. The moratorium was originally set to run through September but has since been extended through the end of December.
While no proposals for a data center in Georgetown currently exist, the city council voted to approve a resolution in support of the Scott County moratorium.
Georgetown resident Ken Beitler said he supports the move.
"Every time I see it, it ends up that either somebody has electric bills that go up or water contamination, and we already have water issues here in Georgetown. We can't support our infrastructure today. We cannot support putting in a data center," Beitler said.
Beitler also warned that communities need to act quickly.
"If we don't stand up now and stand up fast, they're going to come in here and kick the doors down and it's going to be too late for us to react. Time is not on our side," Beitler said.
In Nicholasville, Jessamine County, a similar meeting took place Monday night — though the city does not have a moratorium in place. Discussions there have remained at the exploratory stage.
Doug Blackford, director of general government for the city of Nicholasville, said the city is taking a measured approach.
"What our board is choosing to do is to step back, get some time, and educate and learn more about them before they make any decisions," Blackford said.
Blackford said residents have already raised concerns about what a data center could mean for the city.
"Some folks have complained about noise, the amount of electricity use, the amount of water they take to operate," Blackford said.
He added that no proposals have been submitted for a data center in Nicholasville.
"I can say that with some confidence. Not right now. It's to our understanding, nobody has approached us about pursuing that for us. We just want to be ready for when that day comes," Blackford said.
