Kentucky Governor says Trump administration failed to brief him on $100 billion data center plan

In an interview, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the Trump administration never briefed his office on a massive $100 billion data-center campus slated for federal land in Kentucky before it was publicly unveiled. He said no representatives from the White House, the Department of Energy, NextEra Energy or Brookfield Asset Management explained the project's scale, electricity demand or potential environmental effects.

Beshear acknowledged a July 29 notice from the Energy Department about an upcoming announcement but said it lacked detail. A Department of Energy spokesperson countered that the governor received routine notifications both the week before and the week of the announcement. The controversy arises as Beshear recently signed an executive order obligating data-center firms to submit comprehensive energy-cost plans to the state Energy and Environment Cabinet.

He framed the measure as a way to ensure future facilities become “good neighbors.” The issue reflects growing political scrutiny of data-center expansions nationwide.