Federal officials decline comment on proposed data center near Mammoth Cave
No environmental review or impact analysis has been disclosed for the project.
MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. — Federal officials are declining to weigh in on potential impacts from a proposed data center in Cave City on Mammoth Cave National Park, despite the project being planned just a few miles from the park’s southern boundary.
The land in question spans more than 600 acres at 2001 Doyle Avenue and is currently owned by Kentucky Industrial Alliance LLC, an entity suing Cave City, among others, over its recent decisions to halt data center projects in the city.
The site lies within the Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region, a UNESCO designation recognizing the area’s ecological significance, though it does not impose regulatory restrictions on private development.
Kentucky Industrial Alliance, the current landowner, said the proposed Cave Point Commerce Center would be located within the Cave City Industrial Park between Interstate 65, the railroad, U.S. 90 and Herbert Turner Road.
The site spans parts of Cave City and unincorporated Barren County.
The property is mostly zoned for heavy industrial use, according to the Joint City-County Planning Commission. Data centers are not prohibited under that zoning classification in Cave City.
Large-scale data centers have been the subject of broader environmental debate nationwide, particularly around electricity demand, water usage for cooling, and potential strain on local infrastructure and energy grids.
Environmental outcomes specific to the Cave City proposal have not been publicly identified or analyzed in the documents released. It is not yet clear what environmental review, if any, will be required for the project.
Barrenside sent a request for comment on the proposed hyperscale data center campus to Mammoth Cave National Park, and a federal spokesperson said the inquiry was forwarded to them.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior responded.
“We don’t have comment or speculation about development on private land,” a response said.
The park has previously issued comments on a separate solar project in western Barren County. Barrenside sought clarification on the differing response and received no reply prior to publication.
Barrenside has also filed a federal public records request with Mammoth Cave National Park seeking documents related to the proposed data center project. A response Monday indicated records could be released by December 2027, citing a “significant backlog of requests.”
Brennan Crain
Kentucky Industrial Alliance LLC released a draft economic impact report last week outlining the projected size, tax revenue, job creation, and construction activity associated with the proposed Cave Point Commerce Center.
The report states the project would operate under the direction of Cave City DataCo I, LLC. State business records do not show it as an active or registered entity in Kentucky.
The report focuses on economic and fiscal projections, including estimated property tax revenue, school funding impacts, and employment, but does not include an environmental impact analysis or mitigation discussion.
Kentucky Industrial Alliance LLC did not respond to a request for comment.
