MERCER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — 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.
An online petition against the proposed development has more than doubled in a week, now collecting over 1,700 signatures ahead of a joint planning and zoning commission meeting Wednesday night.
"Because once it's built, there's no turning back. The structure will be there and it's not, it'll be irreversible," said Robin Dean, a local resident leading the opposition.
"No Data Center" signs now line houses along Moore Lane, where residents are voicing concerns about the project's impact on their community.
The exact location of the data center has not been determined, but Caitlyn Cooper, co-owner of Desmar Stables, said if the facility is placed behind their farm, noise pollution would force them to relocate their horse business.
"They are looking at some of the most prime farmland in Kentucky, it is the best soil quality in Kentucky," Cooper said.
"That kind of noise would literally just ruin their lives. It would make them dangerous for people to ride, it would make them dangerous for us to train," Cooper added.
Local residents first learned about the project several months ago through a LinkedIn post from a Chicago-based group seeking investors. They have been searching for answers ever since.
Dean fears the impact will extend beyond their immediate neighborhood and worries about setting a precedent for future development.
"Once you start going down that road of zoning farmland for data centers, where does it stop? At that point, there's no farm safe in Mercer County, no rural community that's going to be safe," Dean said.
Residents also have concerns about potential increases to utility costs.
"You would like to think that your utilities would not go up - water, electricity - somebody is gonna have to bear the cost," Dean said.
The Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority said it has received numerous inquiries about data centers in the area. The community is considered a sought-after location due to the county's extremely high-voltage transmission lines and power plant.
