Hancock County, Kentucky, adopted a data-center zoning exclusion on February 2, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is in force.
The record reads: "In Hancock County, Kentucky, Change.org petition with 1,052 signatures voicing concerns about TeraWulf's data center at the former Century Aluminum smelter site in Hawesville. TeraWulf (via Justified DataPower LLC) purchased the 750-acre… (datacentertracker.org)."
Details
| Action | Class | Status | Date | MW threshold | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning exclusion | restriction | in force | February 2, 2026 | county-wide | datacentertracker.org |
Jurisdiction type: county. County: Hancock County. Dataset: datacentertracker. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.
Kentucky context
Kentucky has 25 documented local actions across 25 jurisdictions in this snapshot. There is no statewide restriction, incentive rollback, or large-load tariff on record for Kentucky in this snapshot.
A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.