Hyperscale data centers.

They've been the topic of discussion across the Commonwealth.

As many communities pushed back against their development.

This week, Kentuckians brought their concerns about data centers to the state Capitol for a legislative listening session hosted by State Representative Adam Moore.

Here's more from Kentucky editions.

Clayton Dalton.

The United States and the world is watching how we do this, how we destroy our communities and our land.

Thank you.

Janet Garrison, a mason County resident, dumped out a folder filled with letters of support written from people across the country to Mason County residents who won't sell their land for data center development.

In a packed room in the state Capitol Annex, other Kentuckians from Owensboro to Pikeville shared their concerns about data centers.

Lindsey Gray, a Jefferson County resident, said she doesn't want Kentucky to roll out the red carpet for data center projects.

Right now, Big Tech is spending trillions of dollars building these massive data centers.

They consume enormous amounts of water and electricity, generate constant industrial noise and create, as one person said, shockingly fewer few permanent jobs.

And they're looking for places to build, places with cheap land, cheap power and weak regulations.

Let's not let Kentucky be that place.

Multiple speakers said that getting information about proposed data center projects in their communities is too difficult, and they want to see state action.

For nearly ten months.

Ordinary people in Mercer County have had to become researchers, investigators, zoning experts and utility watchdogs because the systems meant to protect us weren't ready.

Kentucky recruited it, and now Kentucky has a responsibility to regulate it.

We shouldn't have to be the watchdogs.

We elect people to look out for us.

And you are not doing your jobs.

Not at any level federal, state or local.

And please don't give all the control back to local because there's too much money involved in this.

There was one speaker, a retired software engineer from Fayette County, who said he supports data centers.

So I am totally sold on AI and I want to see it come in faster.

To me, data centers are infrastructure, and in this way I view that no differently than than dams on waterways.

He also said he's skeptical of regulations being drafted by state legislators.

I cannot believe that there is not existing legislation that cover businesses like this and thus, you know, give it to the experts, to people that are employed 365 days a year rather than part time legislators.

After almost two hours of speaking.

Democrat State Representative Joshua Watkins, the House minority Whip, said it's time for the state legislature to do something.

We've heard moratorium, as we've heard, for environmental protections, ratepayer protections.

I think all of those things are on the table for us.

We definitely need to give some parameters so that the public, like we heard today and some of us legislators can get this right.

State Representative Vanessa Grassle was the only Republican in attendance in 2025.

She voted for House Bill 775, which offers tax breaks to hyperscale data centers.

She said she wishes she could take that vote back.

I've heard several of my colleagues in the majority say that it's something that will likely revisit in 27 when we get back in session, and so I look forward to the opportunity after having these community conversations, to get to do that and remedy it.

Although people share different stories, frustrations, fears and grievances, the common theme for most speakers was that something needs to be done.

I'm here to let you know that Kentuckians are watching.

I can't remember the last time that issue brought to many different people together, and they're all watching their old and young of every race and background, and they're all watching how you handle this issue.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

Some counties across Kentucky have passed moratoriums on hyperscale data centers, and Woodford County recently became the first to pass an outright ban.