Drawings from eight finalists appear on the ballot from students across the state. Much like during Kentucky’s regular elections, voters may use a paper ballot to mark their choice and return it to a scanner.
The governor said his executive order would implement an array of protections against the potential impacts of data centers, though some experts have questioned how much legal “teeth” his order has without the backing of specific state laws addressing data centers.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has been discharged from a rehabilitation center and will continue recovering at home after a seven-week absence from the Senate.
Gov. Andy Beshear is ordering Kentucky regulators to protect residents and ratepayers from potential harms tied to data centers, including higher utility bills and impacts on air and water.
Massachusetts-based Ascend Elements announced in 2022 it would invest $1 billion dollars to build an EV battery recycling plant in Hopkinsville. The company has since taken Chapter 11 bankruptcy and settled false claims allegations with the U.S. Department of Justice. Construction of the mega factory remains stalled, but with new owners who say the project will be finished.
The crypto mine inside an HES substation came to light during a Community and Development Services public hearing, where residents and utility representatives weighed in about proposed data center zoning regulations.
The shift comes after Hopkinsville City Council approved budget transfers during a special meeting called on short notice, which did not allow for public comment on the plan.
Pressure is mounting on Gov. Andy Beshear to act over Sen. Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence, but legal experts say he has little authority unless the seat becomes vacant — and even then, Kentucky’s appointment laws could trigger a court fight.
