House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie has supported President Donald Trump’s quest to give the United States an edge in artificial intelligence, but local officials in Guthrie’s deep-red Kentucky district have opposed building the data centers needed to make the AI work.
The issue is emblematic of the pressure many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are under regarding data centers, but Guthrie’s comments are particularly noteworthy because he holds a lot of power on the issue.
“I hear that from people, and I think that’s what I think. I think it’s legitimate to be concerned,” Guthrie said in an interview. “I think saying ‘don’t do anything’ right now is depriving our community of what could be an industry of the future. But any time you see any development, it makes people nervous and it’s natural to have concerns.”
At least two Kentucky counties represented by Mr. Guthrie (Breckinridge and Davis) have agreed to a one-year moratorium on data center applications and construction. Another county, Meade County, rejected a data center proposal after 3,000 people signed a petition opposing it.
But Guthrie not only opposed federal efforts to curb data center construction, he also called on the White House and FBI this month to investigate whether China is behind protests against data centers and artificial intelligence.
“Americans have a right to know who is funding disinformation campaigns aimed at blocking critical infrastructure investments,” Guthrie said in a statement accompanying the letter.
As for the bill, Guthrie questioned the need for new data center laws, but said Congress, along with House leaders, “must take action” after President Donald Trump called on lawmakers to codify language to exempt ratepayers from paying for data center energy usage.
The mixed messages from Mr. Guthrie and other lawmakers may be because Congress is only just beginning to grapple with issues that are occurring primarily at the state and local level.
tug of war
Maranda McDaniel, a Guthrie voter who started the anti-data center petition, said they were focused on county and city officials and not engaging with Guthrie’s office.
She started a petition in Davis County and was “really surprised” by how quickly it spread. Now that county leaders have lifted a one-year moratorium on data center applications, she hopes Owensboro will follow suit.
“I feel like the city is going to do what they want to do. I feel like if we keep demanding, keep coming to meetings, voicing our opinions and concerns, eventually they’re going to say, ‘Okay, yeah, this is what we have to do,'” McDaniel said in an interview.
Hancock, another county in Mr. Guthrie’s district, is moving ahead with plans for a massive data center project that could ultimately attract as much as $14 billion in investment.
Bitcoin mining company TeraWulf plans to begin construction on the site of a former aluminum smelter. The project could begin as early as 2027 and would be one of the largest private investments in Kentucky history.
“In Hancock County, Kentucky, ongoing projects are expected to create meaningful job opportunities, strengthen the local tax base, and help fund essential public services. Local values and local stakeholders must be at the core of driving the future of AI innovation in communities across the country,” Guthrie said in a statement.
But some residents have questions about who will benefit. “(The smelter) was a real source of family-supporting jobs for Hancock County,” says a Change.org petition opposing the project.
“More than 600 workers remained on standby, hoping that production would eventually return,” the report said. “Now those hopes have been replaced by completely different proposals.”
Will Gasly act?
Guthrie’s Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing in April focused on data center growth and its impact on the power grid. The hearing featured several legislative proposals aimed at improving grid infrastructure and predicting future electricity demand.
One of the most impactful bills is the Draft Ratepayer Protection Act, which would amend the Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 to ensure that large electricity users, including data centers, pay for the infrastructure needed to provide power rather than passing it on to residential customers.
“As we continue to build the infrastructure needed to win the AI dominance race with China, it is important that companies building data centers pay for their own electricity costs,” Guthrie said.
He further highlighted the bill at Politico’s Energy Summit last week, codifying President Trump’s ratepayer protection pledges. The president called on energy companies to commit to paying their own energy bills.
“We have a pledge to protect ratepayers, and we want to enact that into law,” Guthrie said.
While some data center advocates accuse China of trying to influence the U.S. debate over artificial intelligence, others know that the community’s concerns are real.
Josh Levi, CEO of the Data Center Coalition, said of China’s claims: “We have no reason not to believe that something like that is happening, but we also showed that we know there is organic opposition within the community as well.”
In Kentucky, such protests continue to turn into anger at county and city council meetings, where residents arrive carrying signs urging authorities to “listen to the people.”
“It’s a good idea to suspend these data centers. I hope you’ll lean toward suspending these data centers so we can have more time to see the long-term effects of these things before we get headfirst into this,” Davis County resident William Sun said at last month’s meeting.
Guthrie, like most other members of Congress, opposes a national data center moratorium supported by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vermont).
But while Guthrie doesn’t want data centers to be shut down and wants the government to investigate claims of foreign involvement, he has tried not to ignore domestic concerns.
“I don’t want to discount the concerns that people have about data centers or just AI,” Guthrie said. “You should be worried about that.”
Josh Siegel and Pavan Acharya contributed to this report.
