Key developments
Kentucky utilities report 29-project data center pipeline
LG&E and KU told regulators in March that 11 potential data centers with combined demand of almost 3.5 gigawatts had at least a 50% chance of moving forward, and the utility said it had 29 potential projects in its pipeline overall. The parent company's CEO later told investors the prospective load could reach about 12 gigawatts, while TeraWulf separately announced a Greenup County project expected to exceed 1 gigawatt at EastPark industrial park and another large site at an idled Century Aluminum mill in Hancock County. The surge is drawing pushback over water use, electricity bills, property values, and rural land conversion.
Why it matters
Kentucky is quickly moving from speculative interest to grid-scale data center planning, with utility forecasts now reaching multi-gigawatt levels.
Sources & driving stories
HOPTOWN CHRONICLE · Liam Niemeyer
Hoptown Chronicle coverageOhio suspends data center sales tax break
Ohio is suspending a sales-tax exemption that had been a central incentive for data center development. State reports had projected the break would cost $136 million in fiscal 2025 and $142 million in fiscal 2026, but actual costs reached $554 million in 2024 and nearly $1.6 billion in 2025, covering construction materials as well as server racks and cooling systems. The move comes as opposition spreads and lawmakers begin a formal review, while residents pursue a November ballot measure that would permanently ban hyperscale data centers.
Why it matters
A major U.S. data center market is tightening incentives, which could alter project economics well beyond Ohio.
Sources & driving stories
SLASHDOT
Slashdot coverageYOUR HOMETOWN STATIONS
Your Hometown Stations coverageSoftBank unveils 5 GW France AI buildout
SoftBank said it will invest 75 billion euros in France to build AI infrastructure, including 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity. Masayoshi Son said about 3.1 gigawatts would be built in Hauts-de-France by 2031, with projects planned for Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, and the company is pairing the effort with a Schneider Electric industrial hub in Dunkirk. Son framed the program as part of a European AI scale-up meant to make France a central hub.
Why it matters
This is one of the largest AI data center commitments announced in Europe and could anchor future hyperscale demand in France.
Sources & driving stories
CNBC · Sawdah Bhaimiya
CNBC coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Little Rock board weighs data center rules
The city is considering standards on noise, water, wastewater, setbacks, and peak-demand curtailment, signaling tighter local approval conditions.
WORTH NOTING
Entergy boosts outlook on data centers
The utility says roughly 70% of planned additions are tied to data centers, showing how AI demand is reshaping generation planning.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
How many Kentucky projects will actually close?
LG&E and KU's pipeline includes many speculative prospects, and the eventual conversion rate will determine grid, water, and rate impacts.
OPEN QUESTION
Will Ohio's pause become a broader ban?
The tax exemption suspension, legislative review, and ballot effort could combine into a much tougher long-term policy regime.