A national day of protest against data centers is planned across the US this weekend, with five scheduled in Kentucky. The rallies are being organized by Humans First, a grassroots movement focused on the rapid growth of the AI industry.
Data centers have become a flash point across the US over concerns about their strain on local resources. Humans First, chaired by former Tea Party leader Amy Kremer, is helping lead demonstrations nationwide on Saturday.
The organization is calling on citizens to urge federal, state, and local officeholders to “protect our hometowns, our wallets, and way of life" and to "end the corporate welfare, sweetheart deals, and taxpayer bailouts."
Christie Compton is organizing a protest in Breckinridge County which passed a one-year moratorium last November.
“Our whole county doesn’t even have city water to everyone," Compton told WKU Public Radio. "We don’t want anything to possibly come in that could cause problems with our system for our people, animals, and agricultural crops.”
Compton has created an online petition against data center development in Breckinridge County which had garnered 764 signatures as of Friday.
A number of Kentucky cities and counties have passed temporary bans on data centers, while others have written or amended zoning laws to heavily regulate their locations and operations.
This week, New York enacted the first statewide moratorium on data centers. Humans First says it doesn’t support a national moratorium and each community must decide for itself where or not to welcome a hyperscale data center.
The Kentucky General Assembly passed tax incentives for data centers in 2025, but has so far not approved legislation providing regulations or shielding consumers from higher utility costs associated with data centers.
Compton hopes the demonstrations catch the attention of elected leaders.
“Lawmakers need to realize that we the people them are the ones that employ them," Compton said. "We’re the ones who vote them in. They need to remember that we outnumber them and they work for us.”
Five Kentucky protests are planned in Bowling Green, Owensboro, Hardinsburg, Jackson, and Lexington.
According to an organizer toolkit on the Humans First website, Saturday's protests are encouraged to be peaceful.
"Absolutely no violence against property or people," according to Kremer. "Anyone who wants to cause a riot is not welcome in our movement."
Supporters argue data centers bring jobs and tax revenue to communities, but opponents maintain any economic boost is outweighed by power and water demand.
Gov. Andy Beshear maintains companies must cover their own energy costs if they want to operate in the Commonwealth.
“I’m not going to let one come to Kentucky that would pass along the cost of energy to the people of that region,” Beshear said in a recent Team Kentucky briefing.
He also said the projects must also comply with state environmental regulations.
Kentucky currently hosts 37 operational facilities, mostly in Jefferson County, and is reviewing dozens more data center projects statewide, according to the Public Service Commission.
