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Residents In Small Town Voice Opposition For Proposal To Build Data Center On Farmland
Residents in Mercer County, Kentucky, rallied to voice opposition to a proposed data center to be built on hundreds of acres of “prime farmland.”
Locals expressed their concerns about the data center development’s impact on human lives, animals, and the area’s resources.
“I have a pretty big breeding program which is also very scary because these data centers cause animals a lot of stress and nerves and it’s very detrimental to breeding horses,” said Caitlyn Cooper, who owns a horse stable in the area, according to WKYT.
Watch the residents come together below:
The small town of Harrodsburg Kentucky is coming together to try and stop a proposed new AI Data Center in their town
The data center could use as much as 110 million gallons of water per year, destroying farmers and the town
“What will our kids be left with?” pic.twitter.com/cmHA0BcrQu
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 24, 2026
WKYT explained further:
Cooper said the proposed site sits on prime farmland, surrounded by around 50 homes and multi-generation farms. She said if the county wants more technical development, officials should build it on the county’s industrial park instead of over 500 acres of beneficial farming area.
“I’ve gotten to meet a lot of my neighbors through all of this and they have been here for generations,” Cooper said. “There’s some people that have been here over a hundred years with their family. They’re losing their heritage, their tradition.”
Resident Zach Workman said he wants to make sure the community understands what a data center project could mean for farmland long term. He is going door to door to warn people of the potential impact.
“The water bill goes up, the electric bill goes up, and taxes go up,” Workman said. “People’s property value go down. So we’re trying to stop that.”
Workman said he has started petitions, set up at local businesses, and is urging neighbors to attend public meetings.
“More than 1,700 residents have signed a petition opposing a potential data center in Mercer County, and dozens gathered at a public meeting on Wednesday night to voice their opposition to the project,” LEX 18 News wrote.
“Because once it’s built, there’s no turning back. The structure will be there and it’s not, it’ll be irreversible,” one resident said, according to the outlet.
'NO BUSINESS IN MERCER COUNTY': More than 1,700 residents have signed a petition opposing a potential data center in Mercer County, and dozens gathered at a public meeting on Wednesday night to voice their opposition to the project. https://t.co/1Sal6NSx0z
— LEX 18 News (@LEX18News) February 19, 2026
LEX 18 has more:
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 says they have received numerous inquiries about data centers in the area. It’s a sought-after location because of the county’s extremely high voltage transmission lines and power plant.
Local schools are also weighing in on the potential development. In an official statement, school officials say they aren’t taking any sides but mention that a project this size could generate nearly $30 million annually in local school revenue.