Woodford County KY permanent data center ban (2026)
Woodford County, KY — Fiscal Court Ordinance Permanently Banning Data Centers, Landfills and Large Battery Storage Countywide (September 8, 2026)
Woodford County, KY · Woodford County, Ky. — Fiscal Court Ordinance (Sept. 8, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- September 8, 2026
- Applies to
- Any person or entity seeking to construct a data center, landfill, or large battery storage system in Woodford County; Woodford County planning and permitting officials.
- Enforced by
- Woodford County Fiscal Court / Woodford County planning and zoning
On September 8, 2026 the Woodford County Fiscal Court unanimously passed an ordinance permanently banning the construction of data centers, landfills, and large battery storage systems anywhere in the county. This is a permanent prohibition, not a temporary moratorium — the Kentucky Association of Counties told the Kentucky Lantern that Woodford is the first Kentucky county it is aware of to enact a permanent data center ban, and it places the county among only a handful of local governments nationwide to go that far. Judge-Executive James Kay said the Fiscal Court chose a permanent ban over a temporary pause because residents were universally opposed, framing the ordinance as farmland preservation: 'We are a tight-knit community with a finite, irreplaceable amount of land. Every single acre matters here. Our rolling pastures, our historic farms, our agriculture, are not just scenic views. They are the backbone of our economy.' Large battery storage was included because such systems are frequently paired with hyperscale data centers. Woodford County sits in the Bluegrass region between Lexington and Frankfort; the Fiscal Court had signalled the move in June 2026 when it first voted to block future data centers.
Who is protected: Woodford County residents and landowners, through a permanent countywide prohibition on data center, landfill, and large battery storage construction — protecting farmland, rural land use, and local utility load from hyperscale development pressure.
Legal detail
Woodford County, Ky. Fiscal Court ordinance, adopted unanimously September 8, 2026. Prohibits construction of three categories countywide: landfills, data centers, and large battery energy storage systems. No sunset provision and no stated exceptions or size thresholds in the reporting — the measure is a permanent land-use prohibition rather than an application moratorium of the kind adopted across central and eastern Kentucky through 2026 (Lexington-Fayette, Allen County, Cave City, Winchester, Mercer County, Ludlow, Jessamine County). Distinguishing feature versus those: a moratorium pauses acceptance of applications pending a zoning framework, whereas this ordinance forecloses the use outright. Ordinance number not reported. Judge-Executive James Kay (D) framed the rationale as protection of productive farmland and resistance to sprawl.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Woodford County, KY |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | September 8, 2026 |
| Citation | Woodford County, Ky. — Fiscal Court Ordinance (Sept. 8, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Construction of the prohibited uses is not permitted; applications cannot be approved |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | A Kentucky county becomes first in state to permanently ban data center construction — Kentucky Lantern |
More AI rules in Woodford County, KY
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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