(WKYT) – Kentucky is working to find its place in the nation’s artificial intelligence boom, with proposals for new data centers emerging in the eastern, central and western parts of the state.
Senate President Robert Stivers said the Commonwealth can play a leading role, saying utility rates, not water supply, are the key concern to manage.
“These can be economic development opportunities that have a huge financial tax base impact to the positive to a local community, if done right,” Stivers said.
In an interview with WKYT’s Bill Bryant, Stivers acknowledged challenges that lie ahead. He said if data centers pay their own way, Kentucky can lead the charge in supplying high-demand AI.
“Maybe the biggest concern is where they are placed. You don’t want them placed where it ruins the fabric of the community,” Stivers said.
City leaders in London say Stivers’ economic vision clashes with their immediate reality. The London City Council passed a two-year moratorium on data centers in August to protect local resources.
Councilwoman Donna House said the city council was not ready to take the risk.
“We weren’t comfortable with that, the citizens weren’t comfortable with it. The City of London doesn’t have the expansion or the infrastructure to support something of that nature,” House said.
House said the moratorium is about gaining transparency on developers and their practices. She said the council will not let family farms and local housing be replaced by data centers.
House said London planning and zoning officials can vote to extend the moratorium for a third year once it expires in 2028.
Stivers said he expects the conversation on how Kentucky can power America’s AI boom to continue in Frankfort.