A significant development is underway in Russell, Kentucky, as a Barcelona-based company has expressed interest in constructing a two-gigawatt data center on the site of the old AK Steel factory. This ambitious project is estimated to cost between $8 and $12 billion and would consume over ten percent of Kentucky’s summer electricity supply.

Russell’s mayor received this information in June through an email from a consultant. The consultant’s primary concern was regarding a moratorium recently passed by the town, which might affect the project’s progress.

The Kentucky Lantern, an independent, nonpartisan news service located in Frankfort near the Capitol, originally reported this development in July. The project signifies a major economic initiative with the potential to reshape energy dynamics in Kentucky and create substantial local opportunities.