Narrow Kentucky vote advances data center plan near Shaker Village despite outcry

A closely divided vote in Burgin, Kentucky, over a proposed data center has sharpened local opposition to the spread of similar projects.

Residents say the proposal could change the landscape near Shaker Village, placing pressure on land and the environment while diminishing the area's historical character.

What happened?

On July 9, the Burgin City Council gave initial approval to an ordinance to annex county land associated with a proposed data center, despite loud objections from meeting attendees, according to WUKY.

For critics in Mercer County, that preliminary vote has become a major point of contention, with opponents arguing the project could damage nearby ecosystems, disrupt the historic setting of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, and threaten tourism tied to the region's identity.

Erin Petrey, founder of Demanding Data Center Accountability, said the move reflects wider frustration among Kentucky residents confronting similar proposals.

"Your people are not feeling heard and they don't feel like they can trust the kind of ordinances and regulations that are being put forth," she said in a video post.

The dispute in Burgin is unfolding as other data center proposals emerge around Kentucky. In Lexington, a council-approved moratorium has paused data center applications through the end of October.

A draft policy there would still allow smaller operations while blocking major data center projects in Fayette County. At least 12 Kentucky counties currently have data centers planned.

Why does it matter?

Data centers can bring investment, construction jobs, and digital infrastructure, but they also raise difficult questions for the communities that host them.

For places like Burgin, the concern is not just about a single building — it is about whether rapid industrial growth could alter landscapes, strain local resources, and change what draws residents and visitors there in the first place.

That concern carries added weight because data centers are increasingly tied to artificial intelligence.

AI tools can help utilities forecast electricity demand, improve grid reliability, and better integrate renewable energy. However, the facilities powering AI can also consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, add pressure to already strained grids, and increase costs that can show up in energy bills.

Communities around the world are increasingly asking who benefits from AI-linked infrastructure and who bears the tradeoffs when power demand, land use, and water consumption rise rapidly.

What's being done?

Lexington's moratorium shows that local governments can slow the process long enough to write clearer rules, gather public input, and decide where — or whether — large data centers belong.

Residents are also organizing more directly.

"And moves like this annexation that would double the size of Burgin just for the purpose of a data center just isn't sitting right with a lot of people," Petrey said.

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