Data center talks put on hold between Mammoth Cave and Barren County
The response comes as the federal government has prioritized expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure.
GLASGOW, Ky. — A planned meeting between Barren County Judge/Executive Jamie Byrd and Mammoth Cave National Park Superintendent Barclay Trimble regarding a proposed Cave City data center has been canceled.
Byrd said she requested the meeting to discuss the proposed development, which is planned along the southern boundary of Mammoth Cave National Park. She was scheduled to meet with Trimble on June 22.
Byrd said she later received a text message from Trimble informing her the meeting had been canceled. In the message, Trimble wrote: “We might have to wait now after your discussion today.”
Brennan Crain
Speaking Tuesday evening, Byrd confirmed the meeting had been called off and said she has reached out to other federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, about the issue.
“We don’t hear from the national park. We don’t know what their concerns are,” Byrd said. “We need to know so that those are addressed, even in planning and zoning.”
Reached for comment Wednesday, Mammoth Cave National Park said it canceled the meeting due to “schedule conflicts.” They did not say whether they planned to reschedule the meeting.
We previously sought comment from the park about the proposed data center but instead received a response from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service.
The response was brief: “We don't have comment or speculation about development on private land.”
The federal government previously commented on a separate proposed solar project in Barren County but did not respond to a follow-up question asking why it commented on that project while declining to comment on the proposed data center.
The response comes as the federal government has prioritized expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure. Last summer, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at speeding up federal permitting for data centers to support U.S. AI development.
The proposed development site encompasses more than 600 acres at 2001 Doyle Ave. and is owned by Kentucky Industrial Alliance LLC, which is suing Cave City and other defendants over recent actions intended to halt data center development within the city.
The property is located within the Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region, a UNESCO designation recognizing the area’s ecological significance. The designation does not impose regulatory restrictions on private development.
The proposed project has become a focal point of discussion in recent weeks as officials and residents consider potential impacts of a data center near one of Kentucky’s most recognized natural landmarks.
