For decades, the Century Aluminum smelter in Hawesville was more than a facility — it was a source of real, family-supporting jobs for Hancock County. When the plant was idled in 2022, more than 600 workers were left waiting and hoping production would one day return.

Now, those hopes have been replaced with a very different proposal: converting this Ohio River industrial site into a massive data center campus for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.

This redevelopment plan, led by TeraWulf, is being promoted as “productive use” of the land. But Kentuckians across the state are already raising serious concerns about data centers, and for good reason.

• Data centers typically create far fewer permanent jobs than manufacturing facilities, despite consuming enormous amounts of electricity and infrastructure capacity.
• Kentucky’s electricity grid remains heavily dependent on coal and natural gas, meaning large new power demands can increase pollution and slow the transition to cleaner energy.
• State tax incentives for data centers do not require minimum job creation or wage standards.

In Hancock County, residents are being asked to accept the long-term impacts — higher energy demand, infrastructure strain, and environmental risk — without clear, binding guarantees that this project will replace what was lost when the smelter shut down.

Kentucky leaders themselves have acknowledged disappointment that Century chose to invest in a new smelter in Oklahoma instead of here — a project that would have created roughly 1,000 permanent jobs. That comparison matters. Communities deserve development that truly strengthens local economies, not projects that deliver most of their benefits elsewhere.

This petition calls on Hancock County officials, the City of Hawesville, Governor Andy Beshear, and the Kentucky Public Service Commission to pause approvals for the Hawesville data center project until:

• The full energy, environmental, and infrastructure impacts are publicly disclosed
• Job creation claims are clearly defined and enforceable
• Residents are given a meaningful voice in deciding the site’s future

Kentucky can welcome innovation without sacrificing communities. Hancock County deserves development that puts people first.

Sign this petition if you believe our leaders should slow down, listen, and demand better.