The bibliography
Every claim,
with its receipt.
This is the whole inventory behind every number on this site, grouped by how much weight it can carry.
How to read this page
A record you can trust is one that tells you how sure it is. Nothing here is presented at a higher confidence than it has earned, and figures that cut against us stay on the page.
- Verified
- Traced to a primary document or a named publisher, and checked.
- Reported
- Published by a named outlet or stated on the record, and attributed as such.
- Disputed
- More than one figure exists. We keep every version with its date and speaker instead of averaging them.
- Unverified
- A lead we are carrying openly at a lower grade until we can put the primary document in your hands.
- Superseded
- A retired figure, kept visible with its date so the trajectory of the claim stays legible.
- Not disclosed
- A genuine unknown. The project has not released it, so we render a labeled gap rather than a guess.
121 entries
Verified
Traced to a primary document or a named publisher, and checked.
Coalition leadership
VerifiedProtect Lowndes County identified Ann Burgwin Faulkner, Hayden Freeman, John Urquhart, Adrian Johnson, and Tom Gardner as its coalition leadership on September 11, 2026.
Coalition leadership roster supplied for the About page, Protect Lowndes County (2026-09-11). Coalition-supplied information
Press contacts
VerifiedThe coalition supplied these press contacts for publication: Ann Burgwin Faulkner, Protect Lowndes County, info@protectlowndescounty.org; Charles Miller, Alabama Rivers Alliance, cmiller@alabamarivers.org; Terah Boyd, Southern Environmental Law Center, 678-686-8483, tboyd@selc.org; Elizabeth Heyd, Natural Resources Defense Council, eheyd@nrdc.org.
Press contact list supplied by Protect Lowndes County, Protect Lowndes County (2026-09-11). Coalition-supplied information
Adrian Johnson's judicial title
VerifiedThe Lowndes County judiciary directory lists Adrian Johnson as District Judge.
Lowndes County Judiciary Directory, Second Circuit Court of Alabama (2026-09-11). District Judge Adrian Johnson — view source
September evening Commission meeting
VerifiedSeptember 28, 2026 follows the Lowndes County Commission's published fourth-Monday, 6 p.m. schedule at the Charles Smith Annex auditorium, 205 E Tuskeena Street, Hayneville.
Commissioners: Regular Meetings, Lowndes County Commission (Undated; accessed September 10, 2026). Regular Meetings — view source
Acreage reported under option
VerifiedA June 2026 coalition assessment reported up to approximately 1,700 acres under option, including a power substation site: an 800-acre parcel with options on roughly 200 more and interest in roughly 700 more.
NRDC/SELC assessment, NRDC / Southern Environmental Law Center (2026-06-29). Meeting summary and 2026-05-27 assessment
Acreage on the state permit
VerifiedThe construction stormwater permit ADEM issued on July 8, 2026 states a total property area of 1,043.91 acres, with 270.42 acres authorized for disturbance.
ADEM construction stormwater permit ALR10C89L, Red Clay Technology Campus, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (2026-07-08). Notice of Intent, property and disturbed area — view source
ADEM land-disturbance permit
VerifiedADEM issued construction stormwater permit ALR10C89L for the Red Clay Technology Campus on July 8, 2026, effective through March 31, 2031. It authorizes clearing, grubbing, erosion controls, mass grading, and sediment basins on 270.42 acres at the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 80 and Alabama Highway 21, discharging to Dry Creek and unnamed tributaries through thirteen outfalls, with construction anticipated to run from August 1, 2026 to August 1, 2028.
ADEM construction stormwater permit ALR10C89L, Red Clay Technology Campus, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (2026-07-08). Permit and Notice of Intent — view source
Wetlands on the permit plans
VerifiedThe permit plans state that no jurisdictional wetlands are present on the site, while marking at least six depressed areas that are not to be impacted until a confirming Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional determination is obtained.
ADEM construction stormwater permit ALR10C89L, permit plan sheets, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (2026-07-08). Permit plan sheets, wetlands notation — view source
The federal wetlands map, at the Highway 80 and 21 quadrant
VerifiedThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory maps freshwater forested/shrub wetland, freshwater emergent wetland, freshwater pond, and a dense riverine (stream) network across the quadrant surrounding the Highway 80 and Highway 21 intersection in Lowndesboro.
National Wetlands Inventory, Wetlands map service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2026-08-11). Wetlands Mapper, exported at quadrant scale (roughly 8km by 6km) centered on the public Highway 80/Highway 21 intersection — view source
Construction stormwater permit on file
VerifiedSandstone Cliffs DevCo LLC filed a Notice of Intent with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for coverage under the state’s general construction-stormwater permit, for the "Red Clay Technology Campus" at the southeast corner of Highway 80 and Highway 21 in Lowndesboro, Lowndes County. ADEM assigned it permit number ALR10C89L, dated July 8, 2026.
Lowndes County permit applications, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (2026-07-08). Water - Construction Stormwater permit listing; underlying document at ADEM eFile MasterID 63469 — view source
The entity: Sandstone Cliffs DevCo LLC
VerifiedSandstone Cliffs DevCo LLC is a Delaware limited liability company formed April 23, 2025. It qualified to do business in Alabama on May 8, 2025, as Foreign Limited Liability Company Entity ID 001-189-850. Its principal address on file with the Alabama Secretary of State is 712 Main St, Suite 3100, Houston, TX 77002, the same suite Cloverleaf Infrastructure lists as its own headquarters. Its registered agent in Alabama is Cogency Global Inc, a commercial registered-agent service, at 2 North Jackson Street, Suite 605, Montgomery, AL 36104. The ADEM stormwater permit application names Cloverleaf Infrastructure co-founder David Berry as the responsible official and development principal Michael Evans as authorized representative, both at Cloverleaf email addresses.
Business Entity Records: Sandstone Cliffs DevCo LLC; ADEM permit application ALR10C89L, Alabama Secretary of State; Alabama Department of Environmental Management (2025-05-08). Entity detail record, Entity ID 001-189-850; application responsible-official block — view source
Large-load review threshold
VerifiedAct 2026-610 defines a large-load data-center customer as one with expected peak demand of at least 150 megawatts on contiguous parcels, triggering Public Service Commission review.
SB270 enrolled, enacted as Act 2026-610, Alabama Legislature (2026-10-01). Ala. Code § 37-4-22.1 — view source
Act 2026-610 PSC review
VerifiedSB270, enacted as Act 2026-610, adds Ala. Code § 37-4-22.1 effective October 1, 2026. It requires the Public Service Commission to find that a large-load data-center contract recovers incremental retail-electric-service costs from the data-center customer and promotes positive benefits to other retail customers.
SB270 enrolled, Alabama Legislature (2026-10-01). Ala. Code § 37-4-22.1 — view source
Ohio: 12-year term, 85% minimum billing
VerifiedThe Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved a data-center-specific tariff for AEP Ohio requiring a 12-year minimum contract term and a minimum demand charge of 85% of subscribed capacity, regardless of actual consumption, for customers above a 25-megawatt aggregate threshold, with exit penalties for early termination.
Application of Ohio Power Co. for Approval of a Tariff for Data Centers & Mobile Data Centers, Case No. 24-508-EL-ATA, Opinion and Order, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (2025-07-09). Opinion and Order — view source
Indiana: 12-year term, 80% minimum billing
VerifiedThe Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a large-load tariff for Indiana Michigan Power requiring a 12-year minimum contract term and a minimum demand charge of 80% of contract capacity, for customers above a 70-megawatt single-site or 150-megawatt aggregate threshold, with a load ramp of up to five years, exit fees for capacity reductions over 20%, and collateral requirements for customers below certain credit thresholds. The Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, a consumer advocacy nonprofit, was a signatory to the settlement alongside Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
Indiana Michigan Power Company, Cause No. 46097, Final Order, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (2025-02-19). Final Order — view source
PSC Docket 33709
VerifiedOn July 8, 2026 the Alabama Public Service Commission opened Docket 33709, a generic proceeding reviewing Alabama Power large-load data-center contracts.
Docket 33709 public comment and reply information, Alabama Public Service Commission (2026-07-08). Generic proceeding — view source
Records request filed
VerifiedOn July 27, 2026 the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council, on behalf of the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Protect Lowndes County, filed a public-records request with the Lowndes County Commission under Ala. Code § 36-12-40. It seeks documents on confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, site-selection and economic-development records, utility and infrastructure planning, incentive and tax-abatement discussions, the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission’s governance and its relationship with the county, property transactions tied to the project, environmental and noise studies, permit applications and permits issued, and the minutes of every meeting where the project was discussed.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Letter addressed to the County Administrator’s office, naming Kimberly McGrew-West as custodian — view source
Selma to Montgomery Trail
VerifiedThe site lies along U.S. Highway 80, the route of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.
Rural Alabama Community Opposes Hyperscale Data Center, Inside Climate News (2026-06-10). Site description in the June 10, 2026 report — view source
Robert Gardner Farm, Campsite 3
VerifiedThe Robert Gardner Farm is Campsite 3 of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march, designated by the National Park Service.
Robert Gardner Farm, Campsite 3, National Park Service (2026-06-10). NPS designation — view source
Title VI environmental-justice settlement
VerifiedOn May 4, 2023 the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced an interim resolution agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health, the first federal environmental-justice Title VI action of its kind. It was terminated on April 11, 2025.
Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announce interim resolution agreement, U.S. Department of Justice (2023-05-04). DOJ/HHS press release — view source
Charles Steele Jr. op-ed
VerifiedOn July 23, 2026, Charles Steele Jr., former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a former Alabama state senator from Tuscaloosa, published an opinion piece headlined "Build it. Just not there." He supports economic development in Lowndes County and asks that the data center be sited away from the Selma to Montgomery route, writing: "I am not writing to stop economic development that helps Lowndes County. I am writing about half a mile," and "What I am asking is that this one road be left alone."
Dr. Charles Steele Jr. op-ed: Build it. Just not there., Yellowhammer News (2026-07-23). Guest opinion, with the author bio line "former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a former Alabama state senator from Tuscaloosa" — view source
Seven neighbors, no company or county contact
VerifiedIn a video Protect Lowndes County published August 22, 2026, seven residents living near the proposed site were asked whether anyone from Cloverleaf or Lowndes County had sat down with them about the project. All seven said no one had.
Seven Neighbors, One Answer | Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-22). Watch — view source
How the seven first heard about it
VerifiedIn a video Protect Lowndes County published August 25, 2026, the same seven residents living near the proposed site were asked how they first heard about Project Red Clay. Every one of them named a neighbor, a friend, or word of mouth in the community. None said they heard it from Cloverleaf or from Lowndes County. They placed it in the spring, most of them in April, and several described learning of it only when neighbors began selling their property.
Not One Heard It From the Company | Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-25). Watch — view source
Farmer: school route runs through the site
VerifiedIn a video Protect Lowndes County published August 23, 2026, Lowndes County cattle farmer Bradfield Evans said U.S. Highway 80, the road his children ride to school every morning, runs directly through the land where Project Red Clay would be built, and that he could not imagine the construction traffic a hyperscale data center would add to that route.
Seven Wells and a School Bus | A Lowndes County Farmer on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-23). Watch — view source
Lifelong resident: why here
VerifiedIn a video Protect Lowndes County published August 24, 2026, Lowndes County resident Linda Lofton Hall said she will be 85 next month and has never lived anywhere else, that she was told Project Red Clay started in January and did not hear about it until May when neighbors began talking about selling their property, and that her question for the Commission is why the project has to go where it is proposed when there are plenty of empty spaces elsewhere in the county. She said she is not against the project being in the county.
Why Here? Linda Lofton Hall Asks the Commission, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-24). Watch — view source
Haney: consequences against projected benefits
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident Trevor Haney said he was born and raised in the county as his father was, that he attended the open house Cloverleaf hosted and came away with surface-level answers and differing water-usage figures from different company representatives, that the community has asked for transparency from the beginning and has not received it, and that residents are being asked to live with long-term consequences for benefits that are only projected.
The Next Generation | Trevor Haney on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Lane: the morning walk, and the water
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident Veronica Lane said she and her husband moved to the county 18 years ago for the quiet, that she has lupus and walks outdoors each morning and that the project would take that freedom from her, that she taught biology and is concerned for the animals, the air and her own health, that residents who ask questions at public meetings do not receive legitimate answers, and that the county water system has failed around Thanksgiving in past years.
The Walk | Veronica Lane on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Spraggins: no contact, and no benefit he can see
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident Joseph Spraggins said he moved from Montgomery two and a half years ago for the quiet, that a next-door neighbor first mentioned the data center to him around April and that no one connected to the project has contacted him since, that his own research indicates the facility would use millions of gallons of water and a large amount of electricity and would decrease property values, that a neighbor who has welded for industrial complexes warned him about noise and about pollution from backup generators, and that he sees no economic benefit reaching the citizens of Lowndes County.
More to Life Than Money | Joseph Spraggins on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Evans: the school route, and never being asked
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County cattle farmer Bradfield Evans said he married into a county family and has farmed here for 17 years, running cattle on about seven wells, that the project would sit directly on the route his children travel to school each day and that he cannot imagine the construction traffic a thousand-acre site would add to Highway 80 there, and that the people of Lowndes County were never asked whether they wanted the project and would probably have politely said no.
The School Bus | Bradfield Evans on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Urquhart: the sunset, and the value of the land
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident John Urquhart said he and his wife bought their property six years ago to retire on and to leave to their children and grandchildren, that the sunset they watch sets in the exact direction the project’s lights would sit, that he worked 25 years building a business and sold it to buy the land and that the diminished value he expects frightens him, and that the Commission met residents’ questions with deaf ears and the single open house was, in his words, pretty much a joke.
The Sunset | John Urquhart on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Redman: a million homes of demand
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident Ed Redman said he and his wife moved to their neighborhood three summers ago and that the proposed site comes within about an eighth of a mile of their property, that from their porch there is no light pollution and no noise pollution, that the project is said to require the electrical equivalent demand of a million homes and he cannot see how a demand that size would not upend the electrical grid, and that the consequences would not be confined to the immediate neighbors.
A Million Homes | Ed Redman on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Hall: the only home she has known
VerifiedIn an interview recorded by Protect Lowndes County on August 21, 2026, Lowndes County resident Linda Lofton Hall said she will be 85 next month and has lived in the same area her whole life, where she raised her family, that one line of the project comes within about 50 yards of her property, that she has been through something similar before when GE came into a neighboring community, that she first heard talk of the project in May when longtime friends and neighbors began selling their property, and that what she wants people to understand is the quiet of the place.
It’s Home | Linda Lofton Hall on Project Red Clay, Protect Lowndes County (YouTube) (2026-08-21). Voices, the seven interviews — view source
Attorney General comments, Docket 33709
VerifiedIn initial comments filed in Docket 33709 on August 6, 2026, the Alabama Attorney General argued that the Commission must vote on each large-load data-center contract, that staff-only deemed approval lacks a statutory basis, that an audit of contracts under Rate FCR does not appear to have occurred, and that the number of contracts deemed approved since 1996 is unclear.
Attorney General initial comments, Docket 33709, Alabama Public Service Commission, public access filing (2026-08-06). Initial comments — view source
Alabama Power comments, Docket 33709
VerifiedAlabama Power’s initial comments in Docket 33709, filed August 6, 2026, recommend that only a redacted contract be made public, with the unredacted contract and supporting economic data provided confidentially to Commission staff and the Attorney General. The company opposes a data-center-specific change to existing confidentiality practice and supports early approval following prefiling review. A separate July 13, 2026 consent states that every large-load data-center contract filed before October 1, 2026 will be evaluated under modified Rate FCR and exempt from any revised Docket 33709 rules.
Alabama Power initial comments and consent, Docket 33709, Alabama Public Service Commission, public access filings (2026-08-06). Initial comments; consent filed 2026-07-13 — view source
Both comment windows closed
VerifiedBoth public windows in Docket 33709 have closed. The initial comment window closed on August 6, 2026 and the reply window closed on August 21, 2026. The docket itself remains open and the Commission has not yet acted.
Docket 33709 public comment and reply information, Alabama Public Service Commission (2026-07-08). Comment and reply deadlines — view source
Who filed in the reply round
VerifiedThe reply round in Docket 33709 drew filings from the Southern Environmental Law Center, Alabama Power Company, Energy Alabama, the Alabama Industrial Energy Consumers, Manifest Energy, State Senator Lance Bell, and a citizen comment from Wanda Shelby, all dated August 21, 2026, plus a reply from Mary Rosenboom dated August 20, 2026. The docket carried 39 documents in total as of August 31, 2026, and its status was listed as Open.
Docket 33709 docket details and document list, Alabama Public Service Commission, public access (2026-08-21). Documents tab; filer names and filing dates as listed — view source
How a contract gets approved without a vote
VerifiedSince an April 1, 1996 order in Informal Docket U-3672, the Alabama Public Service Commission has delegated approval of large-load electric-service contracts to its own staff: under Rate FCR, a contract reviewed by staff is deemed approved after ten days unless the Commission expressly disapproves it, with no commissioner vote required.
Comments by the Attorney General’s Office, Docket 33709, Alabama Public Service Commission, filed by the Office of the Attorney General (2026-08-06). Paragraphs 5 and 8 — view source
What a redacted contract actually hides
VerifiedIn comments filed August 6, 2026, the Southern Environmental Law Center wrote of Alabama Power’s contract with Alabama ADC Holdings, LLC, a Nebius affiliate: "even the contract capacity is redacted when Nebius has publicly stated it is seeking to operate a 300 MW data center. Further, the contract redacts the contract length, its effective date, all pricing components (including minimum payment obligations), and financial security terms."
SELC’s Initial Comments on Large-Load Contracts, Docket No. 33709, Alabama Public Service Commission, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (2026-08-06). Page 28, Part III.B.3 — view source
Individual contracts get their own docket
VerifiedIndividual large-load electric-service contracts are not filed inside Docket 33709; each gets its own separate docket under a "D-" numbering series. SELC’s comments cite two by name: Contract for Electric Service Between Alabama Power Co. and Dotier, LLC, Docket No. D-7842 (filed June 18, 2026), and Contract for Electric Service Between Alabama Power Co. and Alabama ADC Holdings, LLC, Docket No. D-7843 (filed July 24, 2026), identifying Alabama ADC Holdings as a subsidiary of Nebius.
SELC’s Initial Comments on Large-Load Contracts, Docket No. 33709, Alabama Public Service Commission, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (2026-08-06). Page 4, footnote 11 — view source
Sixteen comments on the initial record
VerifiedSixteen public-comment filings were entered in Docket 33709 by the initial deadline: three from individual or small-group residents (two of them from the Oxmoor Valley area of Jefferson County), and thirteen from organizations spanning the Attorney General’s Office, environmental and consumer groups, and industry associations.
Docket 33709 filing index, Alabama Public Service Commission (2026-08-07). Search for Documents, docket number 33709 — view source
Project Red Clay does not appear in the PSC record
VerifiedA full-text search of the Alabama Public Service Commission’s public e-filing portal found no filing, in any docket, mentioning Lowndes County, Sandstone Cliffs, Project Red Clay, or Cloverleaf.
Alabama PSC public e-filing portal, full-text document search, Alabama Public Service Commission (2026-08-07). Full-Text Document Search — view source
Troy, Illinois site rejected
VerifiedCloverleaf Infrastructure proposed a large data center in Troy, Illinois, with concept sites revealed in January 2026. City officials rejected the company’s preferred concept site in early February after resident opposition, and on February 10, 2026 hundreds packed a public information meeting at Triad High School, where company representatives took questions for hours.
Hundreds pack Troy data center meeting held by developer, as residents push back on controversial project, First Alert 4, KMOV St. Louis (2026-02-11). Public meeting coverage — view source
Edwardsville status
VerifiedAs of March 2026, Cloverleaf had provided Edwardsville, Illinois a conceptual site plan but had never filed a formal proposal, and the company said conversations had gone quiet while it waited on utility information. No withdrawal has been reported.
Metro East data center talks raise questions about residents, economic development, The Alestle, SIUE (2026-03-04). Company and city statements — view source
Wrightstown advisory referendum
VerifiedMonths after stating it would not pursue data centers in Greenleaf, Cloverleaf engaged with the adjacent Village of Wrightstown. The village board voted unanimously in late May 2026 to place an advisory referendum on the August 11, 2026 ballot asking whether the village should support utility infrastructure for potential large-scale data center projects. The referendum is non-binding and names no specific project or company.
Referendum on data centers to be held in Wrightstown, Wisconsin, DataCenterDynamics (2026-06-05). Referendum confirmation — view source
Wrightstown one-year moratorium
VerifiedIn early July 2026, after a resident petition gathered more than 300 signatures, Wrightstown trustees unanimously adopted a one-year moratorium on data center projects, effective immediately, while the August 11 advisory referendum proceeds.
Wrightstown places moratorium on data centers, WFRV Local 5 (2026-07-07). Moratorium adoption — view source
Frenchtown Township proposal
VerifiedCloverleaf proposed a roughly 200-acre, four-building data center campus on a former golf course site along I-75 in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan, reported in November 2025. A community informational meeting that month drew a large crowd, with many residents opposed on water, energy, and noise grounds.
Cloverleaf targets 200-acre data center development in Michigan, DataCenterDynamics (2025-11-19). Proposal coverage — view source
Frenchtown six-month moratorium
VerifiedOn April 21, 2026, the Frenchtown Charter Township board voted 6-0 to adopt a six-month moratorium on data center and other high-resource-demand uses while it reviews its zoning ordinance.
Frenchtown Charter Township Board Workshop Meeting Minutes, April 21, 2026, Frenchtown Charter Township (2026-04-21). Zoning Ordinance Amendment 300-19 — view source
Michigan project code names
VerifiedA Michigan data center census identifies Cloverleaf’s Frenchtown Township proposal by the code name Project Cherry Blossom and its withdrawn Dundee Township proposal by the code name Project Ironwood.
How many AI data centers are planned in Michigan? We counted., Gander Newsroom (2026-03-02). Data center census, updated 2026-07-23 — view source
Port Washington affiliate entity
VerifiedCloverleaf’s Port Washington, Wisconsin campus was developed through an affiliate named Red Granite DevCo LLC, per city council agendas, and the company’s own materials describe the project as Project Red Granite.
Cloverleaf reveals plans for 1,000-acre data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, DataCenterDynamics (2025-01-09). Entity named from council agendas — view source
Monroe County, Georgia campus
VerifiedCloverleaf, through an affiliate named Rum Creek DevCo LLC, is developing the phased Rumble Technology Campus off Rumble Road in Monroe County, Georgia, first rezoned in November 2024 at roughly 4.2 million square feet. In mid-2025 the company sought roughly 325 additional contiguous acres, bringing the campus to about 1,225 acres.
Cloverleaf seeks to expand Rumble Technology Campus in Georgia, DataCenterDynamics (2025-07-29). Expansion proposal coverage — view source
Monroe County expansion approved
VerifiedMonroe County commissioners approved the 328.3-acre expansion rezoning of the Rumble Technology Campus on September 9, 2025, with one commissioner voting no and another recusing from the vote.
County approves rezoning of 328 acres on Rumble Road for tech campus expansion, WGXA (2025-09-09). Rezoning vote coverage — view source
Monroe County declines NDA
VerifiedOn November 18, 2025, Monroe County commissioners unanimously declined to sign a nondisclosure agreement with Google over the Rumble Road data center project, after the county attorney advised that signing would conflict with Georgia Open Records Act obligations.
Monroe County commissioners vote no on NDA with Google on Rumble Road data center, WGXA (2025-11-18). NDA vote coverage — view source
Wrightstown referendum result
VerifiedOn August 11, 2026, Village of Wrightstown, Wisconsin voters rejected the advisory referendum on municipal support for large-scale data center utility infrastructure, 1,033 against to 151 in favor, out of 1,184 votes cast, roughly 87 percent against. The referendum was advisory, did not bind the village board, and named no company or project.
Village of Wrightstown voters say 'no' to data center development, NBC 26 (Green Bay) (2026-08-11). Referendum result — view source
Piedmont council sends land-use amendment back
VerifiedOn July 27, 2026 the Piedmont, Oklahoma city council voted to return the proposed Future Land Use Map amendment for Cloverleaf’s "Project Open Sky" to the Planning and Zoning Commission, saying further study was needed. The rezoning and planned-unit-development vote was delayed to August 24, 2026, in part because a council member was absent. Council members did not say whether the land-use studies would be complete by that meeting.
Piedmont City Council delays Cloverleaf data center plan, sends land use map back, OKC Fox 25 (2026-07-28). Council action — view source
How Greenleaf organized
VerifiedA Facebook group opposing the Greenleaf, Wisconsin data center proposal was created on January 7, 2026 and had nearly 3,000 members by January 12, in a village with a population of just over 900. Residents also circulated petitions and held a community information meeting on January 12. Cloverleaf announced its withdrawal on January 13, the day the village board was scheduled to discuss the proposal.
Plans for AI data center in Greenleaf discontinued after community backlash, Green Bay Press-Gazette (2026-01-13). Community organizing — view source
County-domain LCEDC roster, as read
VerifiedAs read on July 28, 2026, the LCEDC page on the county-government domain lowndes-al.gov lists five officers: Thomas Ellis, Chairman (Priester’s Pecans); Commissioner Charlie King Jr., Vice Chairman; Aubrey Carter, Secretary (Alabama Power); John Lyon, Treasurer (BancorpSouth); and Jim Byard Jr., Economic Developer. The page footer reads 2023, and the Treasurer’s bank is given as BancorpSouth, a name retired in an October 2021 merger.
Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, lowndes-al.gov, Lowndes County government website (2026-07-28). Officer listing — view source
LCEDC own-site roster, as read
VerifiedAs read on July 28, 2026, the LCEDC’s own website growlowndescounty.org lists five officers on its about page: Thomas Ellis, Chairman (Priester’s Pecans); Commissioner Charlie King Jr., Vice-Chairman; Aubrey Carter, Secretary (Alabama Power); John Lyon, Treasurer (Cadence Bank); and Jim Byard Jr., Economic Developer. The site footer reads 2026.
About the LCEDC, growlowndescounty.org, the LCEDC’s own website (2026-07-28). Officer listing — view source
King listed as LCEDC Vice Chairman
VerifiedAs of July 28, 2026, both the LCEDC’s own website and the LCEDC page on the county-government domain list Commissioner Charlie King Jr. as Vice Chairman of the LCEDC. King chairs the Lowndes County Commission, the body that would vote on any tax abatement for the project the LCEDC is recruiting. The dual role is published in writing by both official sources.
LCEDC officer listings, growlowndescounty.org and lowndes-al.gov, LCEDC and Lowndes County government websites (2026-07-28). Officer listings — view source
BancorpSouth became Cadence Bank
VerifiedBancorpSouth Bank and Cadence Bancorporation completed their merger on October 29, 2021, and the combined bank took the Cadence Bank name and the CADE ticker.
BancorpSouth Bank and Cadence Bancorporation Complete Their Merger, Cadence Bank investor relations (2021-10-29). Merger completion announcement — view source
Alabama Power Foundation grants to CACF
VerifiedThe Alabama Power Foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF grant schedules show $338,250 across eight grants to the Central Alabama Community Foundation in tax years 2022 through 2024 ($301,500 in 2022, $11,250 in 2023, $25,500 in 2024), plus $2,000 to Hayneville Middle School in 2023 and 2024. Every listed purpose is "GENERAL/OPERATING." None names Cloverleaf, Sandstone, a data center, Lowndes County, or LCEDC.
Alabama Power Foundation Form 990-PF (EIN 57-0901832), tax year 2024, Internal Revenue Service, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2024-12-31). Schedule I grant listings, object IDs 202333199349107098 (TY2022), 202403199349103275 (TY2023), 202533189349104023 (TY2024) — view source
No named-target match in the CACF grant schedules
VerifiedA search of the same 2022-2024 Foundation grant schedules for exact matches to LCEDC, Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Byard Associates, Cloverleaf Infrastructure, Sandstone, and Project Red Clay found none.
Alabama Power Foundation Form 990-PF (EIN 57-0901832), tax years 2022-2024, Internal Revenue Service, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2024-12-31). Schedule I grant listings, three tax years reviewed — view source
No PAC expenditure to current commissioners
VerifiedA full-record search of the Alabama Power Company Employees State Political Action Committee’s disclosed expenditures (1,563 records, reviewed August 7, 2026) found no exact-name expenditure to any of the five current Lowndes County commissioners.
Alabama Power Company Employees State Political Action Committee expenditure records, Alabama Secretary of State, Fair Campaign Practices Act reporting system (2026-08-07). Committee type 2, "Alabama Power" name search, full expenditure result — view source
PAC giving to large-load bill sponsors
VerifiedThe same PAC ledger shows disclosed contributions to state legislators connected to the 2026 large-load utility bills: $20,000 to Sen. Lance Bell (SB270 sponsor, all four payments predating the bill’s 2026-02-05 introduction by nearly three years or more), $2,500 to Rep. Neil Rafferty (HB403 sponsor and the legislator who offered SB270’s operative amendment), $6,000 to Rep. Leigh Hulsey and $8,500 to Rep. Ontario Tillman (HB403 sponsors), and $13,500 to Rep. Steve Clouse, whose committee chairmanship covers utilities, with a final payment on April 24, 2026, after passage but before the May 4 enactment date.
Alabama Power Company Employees State Political Action Committee expenditure records, Alabama Secretary of State, Fair Campaign Practices Act reporting system (2026-08-07). Itemized expenditure detail by recipient, individual transaction IDs on file — view source
The LCEDC seat and the Form 990 review
VerifiedAubrey Carter, Alabama Power’s Manager of Community Relations, is Secretary of the LCEDC, the body recruiting Project Red Clay. The LCEDC’s latest Form 990 states that Carter alone received and approved the complete return before it was filed; the return was not provided to the full governing body.
LCEDC IRS Form 990, fiscal year ending 2025 (EIN 46-3011080), Internal Revenue Service, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2025-09-30). Part VI Section B, governing-body review of the return — view source
Utility cooperation is a stated LCEDC purpose
VerifiedArticle 3(d) of the LCEDC’s Articles of Incorporation states "cooperation with all utilities serving Lowndes County" as one of the organization’s corporate purposes. Six of the LCEDC’s twelve current voting directors hold utility or communications-industry roles.
LCEDC Articles of Incorporation, Alabama Secretary of State filing, reproduced in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook (2013-05-29). Article 3(d), stated corporate purposes
Five microsites, one template
VerifiedCloverleaf operates at least five community-facing project microsites, each following the pattern "[project-codename]datacenter.com": redclaydatacenter.com (Lowndes County, Alabama), ironwooddatacenter.com (Dundee, Michigan), cherryblossomdatacenter.com (Frenchtown Township, Michigan), bluestemdatacenter.com (Leavenworth County, Kansas), and openskydatacenter.com (Piedmont, Oklahoma). All five carry the WordPress metadata description "A Cloverleaf Infrastructure Project" and byte-identical page IDs for the same pages, created November 5-6, 2025.
Cloverleaf project microsite network (redclaydatacenter.com and four sibling sites), Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-07). Public WordPress REST API page metadata (/wp-json/wp/v2/pages), each site — view source
Red Clay’s FAQ has no tax figure, no named partners
VerifiedProject Red Clay’s FAQ page is the only one of the five Cloverleaf microsites with no local tax-revenue estimate and no named local partner. It offers only generic third-person language: "a data center typically creates over 1,000 construction jobs" and Cloverleaf "works on preparing sites for mid-to-size data centers that, once operational, employ from 50 to 300 or more full-time workers." Its homepage separately commits to "at least 50 full-time jobs," the lowest permanent-jobs figure of any comparable Cloverleaf project site, and a "3+ year construction period," the longest.
Project Red Clay FAQ, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-10). FAQ page, as published — view source
What Frenchtown, Michigan got
VerifiedCloverleaf’s FAQ for its Frenchtown Township, Michigan project ("Cherry Blossom") states the project "represents a taxable investment of more than $1B" and publishes Monroe County’s own estimate: "Total Local Government: $14.8 million." It commits to "100 full-time jobs or more" and approximately 1,500 construction jobs.
Project Cherry Blossom FAQ, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-07). FAQ page, as published — view source
What Dundee, Michigan got
VerifiedCloverleaf’s FAQ for its Dundee, Michigan project ("Ironwood") commits to "several hundred full-time jobs" and states "We have already started conversations with IBEW Local 8, UA Local 671," naming two union locals as partners.
Project Ironwood FAQ, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-07). FAQ page, as published — view source
What Leavenworth County, Kansas got
VerifiedCloverleaf’s FAQ for its Leavenworth County, Kansas project ("Bluestem") describes "a multi-billion-dollar taxable investment" and commits to "more than 50 full-time positions, growing to over 200 full-time jobs at full buildout."
Project Bluestem FAQ, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-07). FAQ page, as published — view source
What Piedmont, Oklahoma got
VerifiedCloverleaf’s FAQ for its Piedmont, Oklahoma project ("Open Sky") commits to "over 50 full-time workers" and independently states "No nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with local jurisdictions or members of government" and a commitment to "Publish a website about each project."
Project Open Sky FAQ, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-08-07). FAQ page, as published — view source
What Cloverleaf conceded to Dundee Township, in writing
VerifiedIn a question-and-answer document authored by Cloverleaf and hosted on Dundee Township, Michigan’s own government website, the company wrote: "TRANSPARENCY - We don’t sign NDAs with local governments or landowners - we work openly and honestly with the communities where we site projects," and "We don’t have any confidentiality agreements with Village or Township." It committed that "All contractual obligations entered into on behalf of Project Ironwood will be transferred and assigned to the company that purchases the project, and that company will be legally required to adhere to those obligations," that it "will not sue the Village or Township if Project Ironwood is denied," and to an "enforceable noise limit of 70 decibels at the property lines" memorialized in a development agreement.
Cloverleaf Townhall Questions and Answers, Dundee Township, Michigan (hosting Cloverleaf-authored material) (2025-10-08). PDF metadata shows authorship by Cloverleaf’s Michael Evans, dated 2025-10-08 — view source
The Red Clay FAQ was edited without notice
VerifiedProject Red Clay’s own public WordPress data shows its FAQ page was last modified on July 15, 2026, one week after the ADEM stormwater permit took effect, with no accompanying newsroom post or community notice. The site’s newsroom carries only three posts, the most recent dated May 27, 2026.
redclaydatacenter.com public WordPress REST API page metadata, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-07-15). /wp-json/wp/v2/pages, FAQ page (id 227), "modified" field — view source
Never archived
VerifiedA Wayback Machine CDX query for redclaydatacenter.com, with and without "www" and on both domain and prefix match, returns zero captures. Cloverleaf’s corporate site, cloverleafinfra.com, has 622 captures dating back to April 28, 2024.
Wayback Machine CDX API query, redclaydatacenter.com, Internet Archive (2026-08-07). CDX query result, zero rows — view source
One registered Black voter
VerifiedThe SNCC Digital Gateway states that roughly 80 percent of Lowndes County’s population was African American, though there was only one Black registered voter.
Lowndes County, Alabama, SNCC Digital Gateway (2026-08-14). County overview — view source
Rosie Steele farm, Campsite 2
VerifiedThe Rosie Steele property served as Campsite 2 of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. The National Park Service records that after the march passed through, local vendors refused to supply her store.
Rosie Steele Property, Campsite 2, National Park Service (2026-08-14). Campsite history — view source
What the Gardner family faced
VerifiedThe National Park Service records that local White residents opposed to the march attempted to bribe the Gardner family, that neighbors "threatened the family with violence, and phone and power lines to the property were cut," and that a National Guardsman patrolling the area found a White neighbor with a scoped rifle pointed at the family farm and told him he would be held as the prime suspect if anything happened to the family.
Robert Gardner Farm, Campsite 3, National Park Service (2026-08-14). Campsite history — view source
Viola Liuzzo
VerifiedViola Liuzzo, a mother of five from Detroit who had come to Alabama to support the march, was shot and killed on March 25, 1965 while driving civil rights worker Leroy Moton back toward Montgomery, about halfway between Selma and Montgomery. The National Park Service gives her place of death as Lowndes County, Alabama.
Viola Liuzzo, National Park Service (2026-08-14). Biography and place of death — view source
Lowndes Tent City
VerifiedThe National Park Service records that Tent City, established in 1966 in Lowndes County, "provided shelter for black families evicted from their homes by white landowners in retaliation for attempting to register to vote," and that it "faced regular harassment from ‘night riders,’ hostile White vigilantes who would drive through, firing shots into the camp multiple times a week."
Lowndes Tent City, National Park Service (2026-08-14). Site history — view source
Lowndes County Freedom Organization
VerifiedSNCC staffers in Lowndes County organized an independent Black political party, the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, later the Lowndes County Freedom Party, which took a black panther as its logo.
Lowndes County, Alabama, SNCC Digital Gateway (2026-08-14). County overview — view source
NAACP opposes an Alabama data center
VerifiedOn September 16, 2025 the NAACP published a letter opposing a proposed data center in Bessemer, Alabama. Benard Simelton, president of the NAACP Alabama State Conference, wrote: "The pattern of targeting Black communities for environmentally hazardous projects must end, and it must end here."
NAACP Issues Letter Opposing Project Marvel Data Center in Alabama Amid Growing Concerns, NAACP (2025-09-16). Statement from the Alabama State Conference president — view source
The PSC chief administrative law judge
VerifiedLuke D. Bentley IV is the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Alabama Public Service Commission, per the Commission’s own legal-staff roster, which also lists V. Chad Mason, Jr. as Administrative Law Judge.
Legal Staff, Alabama Public Service Commission (2026-08-17). Legal staff roster — view source
Pintlala Water System population served
VerifiedPintlala Water System, Inc. of Hope Hull, public water system AL0001073, serves 5,343 people, per the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System.
Envirofacts SDWIS entry: Pintlala Water System, Inc., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026-08-17). Water system detail, population served — view source
Pintlala annual membership meeting
VerifiedPintlala Water System, Inc. notified members that its annual membership meeting will be held September 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Pintlala Volunteer Fire Department meeting room. The notice says members who plan to vote should bring a certificate of membership and photo identification.
Notice of annual membership meeting, Pintlala Water System, Inc. (2026-09-10). Annual membership meeting notice
Pintlala board named in annual-meeting notice
VerifiedPintlala Water System, Inc.’s 2026 annual membership meeting notice names Wayne Hatcher, Thomas Ellis, Stan Cook, Tim Wilsford, and John Meadows as the current Board of Directors.
Notice of annual membership meeting, Pintlala Water System, Inc. (2026-09-10). Board of Directors paragraph
Lowndesboro using Pintlala interconnect
VerifiedAs accessed September 11, 2026, the Town of Lowndesboro’s website says its well is currently out of service, asks customers to limit water use, and says the town is currently using its interconnect with Pintlala. Its Water System page describes that interconnection as backup for emergency water service.
Town of Lowndesboro outage notice and Water System page, Town of Lowndesboro (Undated; accessed September 11, 2026). Homepage outage notice; Water System page — view source
Current Project Red Clay water description
VerifiedAs accessed September 11, 2026, Project Red Clay’s website says the project will use closed-loop cooling with a one-time fill and that day-to-day building use will be comparable to an office building. The page does not list a maximum daily demand, peak demand, fill schedule, or a water-service agreement.
Project Red Clay, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (Undated; accessed September 11, 2026). Responsible Water Use — view source
Cloverleaf capital raise
VerifiedCloverleaf raised $300 million in July 2024, led by NGP’s Sustainable Infrastructure platform and Sandbrook Capital, which is anchored by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Wilson Sonsini Advises Cloverleaf on $300 Million Capital Raise, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (2024-07-01). Transaction announcement — view source
Greenleaf, Wisconsin withdrawal
VerifiedCloverleaf withdrew from Greenleaf, Wisconsin on January 13, 2026, the same day the village board was scheduled to discuss the proposal. Chief Development Officer Aaron Bilyeu stated: "After speaking to leadership at the Village of Greenleaf and the Town of Wrightstown, Cloverleaf will not be pursuing datacenters in those jurisdictions. Cloverleaf prioritizes collaboration and engagement with local communities and their leadership."
Data center withdraws plans to build in Brown County following community pushback, Spectrum News 1 (2026-01-13). Bilyeu verbatim statement — view source
Dundee, Michigan withdrawal
VerifiedCloverleaf dropped its initial plans for a Michigan data center in October 2025 after the Dundee council voted to block the water supply. The company acknowledged it "should have done more public communication and listening."
Cloverleaf drops initial plans for Michigan data center; council votes to block water supply, DataCenterDynamics (2025-10-01). Company statement — view source
Port Washington flip
VerifiedCloverleaf assembled and annexed 1,900 acres in Port Washington, Wisconsin in May 2025, then handed the package to Vantage Data Centers for an $8 billion campus. This is the assemble-and-sell model completing its cycle.
Port Washington approves $8 billion Vantage Data Centers project, BizTimes (2025-05-01). Project approval — view source
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin moratorium
VerifiedAfter Cloverleaf approached landowners in Mishicot, Two Rivers, and Two Creeks townships with purchase offers, the Manitowoc County Board voted unanimously on April 29, 2026 to impose an 18-month moratorium on data-center siting. Cloverleaf’s Chief Development Officer responded publicly to the vote.
Manitowoc County Board votes unanimously to impose 18-month moratorium on data centers, WTAQ (2026-04-29). County board vote — view source
Piedmont, Oklahoma rezoning tabled
VerifiedThe Piedmont Planning Commission voted on June 1, 2026 to table Cloverleaf’s proposed rezoning of roughly 633 acres for a data-center campus, reported as "Project Open Sky," referring the matter to the city council for further study on relocating the city’s industrial zoning district. A second, unrelated developer’s rezoning was tabled in the same action.
Piedmont planning commission tables data center decisions, calls for deeper study, KFOR (2026-06-02). Planning commission vote — view source
Columbia County, Georgia: conditions, and a denial for lack of a named tenant
VerifiedOn February 4, 2026 the Columbia County, Georgia Board of Commissioners approved Cloverleaf’s "Pumpkin Center" rezoning, roughly 417 acres in Harlem, 4-1, with conditions: buffers increased from 250 to 500 feet, berms raised from 6 to 12 feet and planted with evergreens, a 60-decibel noise cap at the property line, and a ban on residential development east of Highway 221. The same day, on the same agenda, the board denied a separate, unrelated 944-acre "Byrd Farms" rezoning 4-1, with commissioners citing the absence of any identified end user as too speculative to approve.
Columbia County Board of Commissioners approve two out of three data center projects, Byrd Farm voted down, The Augusta Press (2026-02-04). Board of Commissioners vote — view source
Michigan FOIA: the company’s own standard
VerifiedIn an email released under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, Cloverleaf Development Principal Michael Evans wrote of a separate site: "We made the decision not to pursue it, because Cloverleaf will not work in communities where this type of development is unwelcome or the development does not match the existing use for the land. That is a decision we will make ten times out of ten."
Cloverleaf vs. Other Developments (Draft), email released under Michigan FOIA, Village of Dundee / Dundee Township, Michigan (2025-09-23). Email to Dundee officials, cc Aaron Bilyeu
Edwardsville: public denial, private record
VerifiedIn Edwardsville, Illinois, two dozen emails obtained through public records showed nearly a year of detailed Cloverleaf discussions about land surveys, special-use permitting, and engineering, while city officials publicly told residents there was no formal proposal.
Edwardsville Officials Assured Residents the City Had No Formal Proposal For a Data Center, But City Emails Tell a Fuller Story, Illinois Answers Project (2026-02-21). Public-records investigation — view source
Wrightstown: months before residents knew
VerifiedEmail records show the Wrightstown, Wisconsin village administrator was in talks with Cloverleaf beginning January 2026, months before residents were informed. A resident said the board was misleading by not disclosing the communications.
Wrightstown works with Cloverleaf on possible data center, NBC 26 (Green Bay) (2026-05-01). Email records — view source
Private meetings acknowledged
VerifiedAt the June 3, 2026 community open house, Cloverleaf’s Vice President of Community Engagement acknowledged, in answer to a resident’s question, that the company had held private meetings with the Lowndes County Commission and the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission.
Cloverleaf community open house, Hayneville Middle School, Account of coalition members present (2026-06-03). Open house, 2026-06-03
What the company looks for
VerifiedDescribing what Cloverleaf looks for in a host community, the Chief Development Officer said: "What we typically look for is leadership that is willing to have the conversations and facilitate those conversations."
Cloverleaf Infrastructure officials answer data center questions in Wrightstown, WFRV (2026-05-01). Public listening session — view source
LCEDC contribution-tier board
VerifiedThe Lowndes County Economic Development Commission’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws establish a contribution-tier board structure: a $2,500 annual contribution corresponds to a voting board seat, and a $5,000-or-greater annual contribution corresponds to a seat on the Executive Committee, which the Bylaws authorize to act between full board meetings.
LCEDC Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook, Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, public inspection copy (2013-05-29). Articles Art. 4; Bylaws Art. II Sec. 8; Form 1024 Part II Q7
LCEDC governance policies
VerifiedThe LCEDC’s IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024 reports $95,733 in revenue, $97,102 in expenses, and $214,386 in assets at year end, with a 13-member volunteer board and no paid employees. Part VI answers four core governance questions in the negative: no written conflict-of-interest policy, no written whistleblower policy, no written document retention and destruction policy, and no compensation process involving independent review.
LCEDC IRS Form 990, fiscal year ending 2024-09-30 (EIN 46-3011080), Internal Revenue Service, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2024-09-30). Part VI Section B, governance policies — view source
The 990 contradicts itself
VerifiedThe same signed Form 990 that answers "No" to having a written conflict-of-interest policy at Part VI, line 12a states in its Schedule O that the LCEDC "makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request."
LCEDC IRS Form 990, fiscal year ending 2024-09-30 (EIN 46-3011080), Internal Revenue Service, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2024-09-30). Part VI Section B line 12a; Schedule O, keyed to Part VI line 19 — view source
Records custodian is a contractor
VerifiedThe LCEDC Bylaws make the Executive Director a non-voting ex-officio Secretary who "shall be the custodian of records, books, reports, statements, certificates, and other documents of the LCEDC." The LCEDC reports no employees on its Form 990, and the Executive Director function is performed under contract by an outside firm.
LCEDC Bylaws, in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook, Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, public inspection copy (2013-05-29). Bylaws Art. III Sec. 5
Only payers make quorum
VerifiedUnder the LCEDC Bylaws a quorum is "a majority of the voting class of Directors," and officers are elected from the voting classification membership. A public-body appointee that has not contributed $2,500 therefore cannot count toward a quorum, cannot block one, and cannot hold office.
LCEDC Bylaws, in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook, Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, public inspection copy (2013-05-29). Bylaws Art. II Sec. 5; Art. III Sec. 1
Founded from inside the Commission
VerifiedThe LCEDC’s Articles of Incorporation list its initial registered office as "c/o Lowndes County Commission, 205A E. Tuskeena Street" and name a then-sitting county commissioner as both an incorporator and the initial registered agent. All three initial directors held public-body appointments.
LCEDC Articles of Incorporation, in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook, Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, public inspection copy (2013-05-29). Articles Art. 5, Art. 6, Art. 7
Subsidy per data-center job
VerifiedA national review of data-center subsidy disclosure found that no state reports both jobs promised and jobs actually created. Illinois averages $1.4 million in public subsidy per data-center job, and Georgia, Virginia, and Texas each forgo more than $1 billion a year in data-center tax breaks.
Cloudy Data, Costly Deals: How Poorly States Disclose Data Center Subsidies, Good Jobs First (2026-01-01). National subsidy review — view source
Ratepayer impact, Virginia
VerifiedThe Virginia State Corporation Commission approved a new large-load electricity rate class for data centers above 25 megawatts, effective January 2027. Reporting attributed an additional $11.24 per month in 2026 for a typical Dominion residential customer to data-center load, and noted PJM capacity-market clearing prices rose sharply for 2025-2026.
Virginia regulators approve new Dominion rates, Inside Climate News (2026-01-07). Rate class approval — view source
Protective rules changed the ask
VerifiedOhio residents pay roughly $16 more per month tied to PJM capacity costs associated with data-center expansion. After Ohio adopted ratemaking provisions similar to Virginia’s, data-center demand requests in the state fell from about 30 gigawatts to about 13 gigawatts.
Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills, Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2026-01-01). Ratemaking and demand — view source
Generation bought against the forecast
VerifiedIn December 2025 the Alabama Public Service Commission approved Alabama Power’s purchase of the Lindsay Hill natural gas generating station in Billingsley, to address a forecasted surge in data-center electricity demand.
Alabama PSC approves Alabama Power’s request for rate freeze, Alabama Reflector (2025-12-03). PSC approval — view source
Community foundation holding the pledge
VerifiedThe Central Alabama Community Foundation, named as the vehicle for the community-benefit pledge, reports roughly $107 million in charitable assets on its IRS Form 990. The gift-agreement terms with the developer, including administrative-fee structure and disbursement schedule, are not public.
Central Alabama Community Foundation, IRS Form 990 (EIN 63-0842355), ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (2026-01-01). Nonprofit Explorer — view source
Noise and air near data centers
VerifiedFirst-person reporting from residents living near hyperscale data centers in Northern Virginia and Michigan documented headaches, vertigo, sleep disturbance, hypertension, and ear pain. Sustained sound above 65 decibels is associated with elevated stress and blood pressure.
Living in Hell: Data Center Neighbors Grapple With Noise, Air Pollution, U.S. News & World Report (2026-04-28). Resident reporting, with EESI on the decibel threshold — view source
Property values: the honest picture
VerifiedEvidence on property values is mixed. A George Mason University study of 2023 home sales found that homes closer to data centers in Northern Virginia tended to sell for higher prices. The authors note this may reflect that region’s pent-up housing demand and may not generalize to rural markets.
Study: Home prices are higher when house is near a data center, George Mason University Schar School (2025-11-01). Schar School study — view source
The Mants family letter
VerifiedThe family of Robert "Bob" Mants Jr., a SNCC field secretary who marched on Bloody Sunday, helped build the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, and later served as a county commissioner, wrote to the Commission on May 24, 2026 opposing the project. The letter describes the area as "sacred ground," warns against "sacrifice zones," states "this land is not disposable," asks whether the company would place such a facility in their own communities, and closes: "Do better."
Letter from the family of Robert Mants Jr. to the Lowndes County Commission, Submitted to the Lowndes County Commission (2026-05-24). Correspondence to the Commission
The Burkville industrial precedent
VerifiedThe Burkville facility at 1 Plastics Drive, operated today as SABIC Innovative Plastics US LLC, spans roughly 6,300 acres less than a mile from the parcel. The EPA lists it as a Clean Air Act major source, an NPDES major source, and a RCRA large-quantity generator. In 2012 the EPA settled a Clean Air Act enforcement case against the Burkville and Mt. Vernon facilities for $1,012,873 in combined civil penalties on a fifteen-count complaint.
EPA enforcement record and facility listings, Burkville, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012-01-01). ECHO facility record and 2012 settlement
Sanitation agreement terminated
VerifiedThe May 2023 Title VI interim resolution agreement addressing the Lowndes County sanitation crisis was terminated on April 11, 2025.
U.S. Justice Department abandons Lowndes County residents suffering longstanding sewage problems, Equal Justice Initiative (2025-04-11). Termination — view source
The sanitation record
VerifiedThe documented Lowndes County sanitation record includes a 2018 Title VI complaint describing heavy clay soil that prevents septic systems from working and the use of straight pipes for raw sewage discharge; a 2017 visit by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty who described conditions as a human-rights violation; and Baylor University research finding 34 percent of tested residents positive for hookworm.
Documentary record of the Lowndes County sanitation crisis, Earthjustice / CREEJ, United Nations, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2018-01-01). Compiled documentary record
Communities that paused
VerifiedMultiple communities have adopted pauses. Northampton County, North Carolina adopted a 32-month moratorium in May 2026. Durham, North Carolina adopted a 60-day moratorium. A Manitowoc County, Wisconsin committee recommended a one-year permitting moratorium. Port Washington, Wisconsin voters approved a measure requiring voter approval for data-center tax incentives.
Northampton County adopts a data center pause, North Carolina Health News (2026-05-08). With WRAL, WPR, and MultiState on the other jurisdictions — view source
Residents packed the meeting
VerifiedResidents filled the Charles Smith Building to standing room only for the April 2026 county meeting on the proposed data center.
Residents pack Lowndes County meeting over proposed data center, WSFA 12 (2026-04-29). Meeting coverage — view source
May 26 Commission meeting
VerifiedAt the Lowndes County Commission’s regular public meeting on May 26, 2026 at the Charles Smith Annex in Hayneville, the Chairman stated three times that he would not vote for any thirty-year data-center tax abatement, and volunteered a comparison to the Burkville forty-year abatement. The Vice-Chairman moved to deny any abatement; the Chairman voted no on that motion.
Lowndes County Commission regular public meeting, May 26, 2026, Lowndes County Commission (streamed public recording) (2026-05-26). Approx. 01:40-01:58 of the public recording
The June 3 open house
VerifiedCloverleaf held a come-and-go community open house at Hayneville Middle School on June 3, 2026 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with staff at informational tables addressing water, energy, noise, lighting, and economic impact. The event included no formal presentation.
Cloverleaf to hold community open house for Lowndes County data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-27). Event announcement — view source
How neighbors found out
VerifiedNeighbors of the proposed site learned of an 800-acre data center being pursued in the county through reporting rather than through notice from the county or the developer.
An 800-acre data center is being quietly pushed in Lowndes County. Its neighbors are just finding out, Yellowhammer News (2026-04-01). Opening coverage — view source
95 entries
Reported
Published by a named outlet or stated on the record, and attributed as such.
Ann Burgwin Faulkner on protecting historic places
ReportedJohn Sharp reported that Ann Burgwin Faulkner and coalition members were pressing local officials for options on data center development. Faulkner highlighted the Robert Gardner farm and said, "We need to protect this historical site."
Alabama Counties Say They Lack Authority for Data Center Bans, John Sharp, al.com, republished by Government Technology (2026-08-05). Faulkner's comments on historic-site protection — view source
Hayden Freeman's local organizing
ReportedCoalition background notes identify Hayden Freeman as a local point of contact who helps fellow organizers locate properties under discussion. They also record his participation in coalition planning.
Coalition background notes on local organizing, Protect Lowndes County (2026-08-07). Coalition-supplied information
Built footprint
ReportedThe public site plan describes roughly 3.01 million square feet: four 720,000 sq ft data buildings, one 100,000 sq ft warehouse, and one 30,000 sq ft office.
Rural Alabama Community Opposes Hyperscale Data Center, Inside Climate News (2026-06-10). Company plan reviewed by ICN — view source
Site acreage
ReportedThe public site plan describes approximately 800 acres near U.S. Highway 80 and Alabama Highway 21 in Burkville, about six miles southwest of Montgomery.
An 800-acre data center is being quietly pushed in Lowndes County, Yellowhammer News (2026-04-01). ICN-reviewed company plan — view source
Acreage reported August 2026
ReportedAn August 9, 2026 al.com report describes the $1.5 billion project as having grown to 1,050 acres, or about 750 football fields.
In rural Alabama, voters feel sold out to massive data centers: ‘Slap in the face’, al.com (2026-08-09). Reporting by Ruth Serven Smith — view source
Electrical request
ReportedThe project is reported to have requested roughly 1,500 megawatts from Alabama Power. Study status, ramp schedule, and contract terms are not public.
Rural Alabama Community Opposes Hyperscale Data Center, Inside Climate News (2026-06-10). ICN and public Cloverleaf statements — view source
Water use (developer framing)
ReportedCloverleaf describes closed-loop cooling drawing up to 100,000 gallons per day from the Pintlala Water System, framed as "a one-time fill."
Cloverleaf responds to Lowndes County data center concerns, WSFA 12 (2026-06-04). Cloverleaf statement to ICN and WSFA — view source
Construction jobs
ReportedThe developer describes more than 1,000 construction jobs over three or more years. This figure is consistent across sources.
Project Red Clay, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-07-10). Developer website — view source
Jobs to Lowndes residents
ReportedDr. Regina Moorer, in a Lowndes Signal letter to the editor, estimated roughly 9 permanent positions would go to Lowndes residents "at current capture rates."
Letter to the editor, The Lowndes Signal (2026-04-30). Letter to the editor, late April 2026
A data-center trade, out of state
ReportedPurgeRite performs mechanical flushing, purging, and filtration on the closed-loop cooling systems inside data centers. Vertiv completed its acquisition of the company in December 2025 for approximately $1.0 billion. The acquirer’s announcement gives the headquarters as Houston, Texas; the company’s own website gives Willis, Texas.
Vertiv Completes Acquisition of PurgeRite, Expanding Leadership in Liquid Cooling Services, Vertiv (2025-12-04). Acquisition announcement; Willis address per purgerite.com — view source
Abatement term at issue
ReportedThe abatement at issue is 30 years. Chairman Charlie King committed three times at the May 26, 2026 Commission meeting not to vote for any 30-year abatement.
Stakeholders consider potential data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-26). Commission meeting — view source
Roll call on the motion to deny
ReportedAt the same May 26, 2026 meeting, Vice Chairman Dickson Farrior moved to deny any abatement to the project and the county attorney said on the record that there is nothing inherently illegal about denying it. The motion failed on a roll call of two to two with one abstention. Chairman Charlie King Jr. voted no. Commissioner Robert Harris voted no. A vote of no on a motion to deny does not decide the project; it leaves the abatement available to be granted later.
Lowndes County Commission regular meeting, May 26, 2026, Lowndes County Commission (2026-05-26). Roll call on the motion to deny any abatement
Community benefits
ReportedThe developer describes $10 million for the county over the project lifecycle via the Central Alabama Community Foundation: $1 million upfront and $9 million milestone-gated. Of the balance, $4 million depends on an electric-service contract and PSC approval, and $5 million is payable over five years after construction begins.
Cloverleaf emphasizes data center benefits amid community concerns, The Lowndes Signal (2026-06-01). Developer statements — view source
No abatement request filed
ReportedAs of July 24, 2026, no tax-abatement request had been filed, no future owner or operator had been named, and Cloverleaf had not withdrawn Project Red Clay.
Mystery data center could receive 30-year tax break beside sacred Selma march ground, Yellowhammer News (2026-07-24). Reporting by Sherri Blevins — view source
HB399 abatement cap
ReportedHB399 caps Alabama data-center property-tax abatements at 20 years for any abatement granted on or after January 1, 2027, down from the 30-year ceiling under the 2012 Data Processing Center Act. A further 10 years, to a maximum of 30, is available only where the private user meets the capital-investment thresholds and enters a binding written agreement approved by the Alabama Department of Revenue, the Department of Commerce, and the affected local governing body, committing to qualified local investments. If a material obligation of that agreement is not met, the additional 10 years is revoked and the abated state taxes are repayable with interest. It passed the Legislature unanimously on April 9, 2026 and was sent to the Governor on April 10, 2026.
HB399 Enrolled, Alabama Legislature (2026-04-09). Enrolled text, Sec. 40-9B-3(12) and Sec. 3; sponsor Rep. Leigh Hulsey (R-Helena) — view source
Alabama Power’s own October 1 consent
ReportedIn a formal consent filed with the Alabama Public Service Commission, Alabama Power agreed to a modified 45-day review of large-load data-center contracts, but wrote that the modification lasts only "until Act No. 2026-610 becomes law on October 1, 2026," and that "any proposed large load data center contract filed with the Commission prior to that date will be subject to evaluation under Rate FCR, as modified pursuant to the Commission’s July 8 order and this consent, and exempt from an application of any revised regulations issued in the above-captioned docket."
Public can read Alabama Power’s data center contract, just not parts that could affect bill, WBRC (2026-07-30). Reporting by Jennifer Horton, quoting Alabama Power’s consent filing — view source
Chairman on power bills
ReportedCommission Chairman Charlie King Jr. said of the project in April 2026: "The power bill will not go up. They will pay their own charges."
Mystery data center could receive 30-year tax break beside sacred Selma march ground, Yellowhammer News (2026-07-24). Reporting by Sherri Blevins, quoting an April statement — view source
Noise (company estimate)
ReportedCloverleaf’s Chief Development Officer told WSFA the facility would typically operate under 60 decibels at the property line, comparing the sound to air conditioning, and said the ambient noise would be less than at the June 3 open house.
Cloverleaf responds to Lowndes County data center concerns, WSFA 12 (2026-06-04). Aaron Bilyeu statements — view source
Acoustic roar warning
ReportedA Lowndesboro resident whose career includes more than 30 years building, managing, and operating data centers warned commissioners that nearby residents could experience continuous fan noise known as acoustic roar.
Mystery data center could receive 30-year tax break beside sacred Selma march ground, Yellowhammer News (2026-07-24). Reporting by Sherri Blevins — view source
Records request first deadline
ReportedAla. Code § 36-12-44(a)(3) sets the first statutory checkpoint for a records request: the custodian must act within ten working days of receipt. Counting ten working days from the July 27, 2026 email delivery of the request, that first deadline falls on or before Monday, August 10, 2026. It is not a deadline to finish producing the records themselves: the same section lets a custodian lawfully designate a request unusually burdensome or time-intensive and take longer to complete it.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Response-deadline provision, citing Ala. Code § 36-12-44(a)(3) — view source
Distance to Campsite 3
ReportedAL.com reported on August 9, 2026 that the data center would be half a mile from the Robert Gardner farm, down U.S. Highway 80.
In rural Alabama, voters feel sold out to massive data centers: ‘Slap in the face’, al.com (2026-08-09). Reporting by Ruth Serven Smith — view source
Robert Mants Memorial Highway
ReportedIn 2022 the Lowndes County portion of U.S. Highway 80 was renamed the Robert Mants Memorial Highway, after Bob Mants, a Lowndes County native, SNCC field secretary, and longtime civil rights activist.
On the historic route from Selma to Montgomery, an AI cloud looms, Route Fifty, republishing Inside Climate News (2026-06-10). Quoted verbatim: "In 2022, the Lowndes County portion of Highway 80 was renamed the Robert Mants Memorial Highway after Bob Mants, a Lowndes County native and longtime civil rights activist." — view source
Rep. Terri Sewell opposes the project
ReportedOn July 31, 2026, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, published a guest opinion column headlined "Why I oppose the proposed data center in Lowndes County." She writes: "I stand with the residents of Lowndes County in opposing the proposed data center because too many questions remain unanswered, the potential consequences are too significant to ignore, and the people who will live with those consequences deserve better answers than what they have received from the project’s proponents." She names water as her most immediate concern and asks that residents receive "independent analysis of its water demands, its impact on groundwater, and its effect on existing infrastructure" before the project moves forward. She writes that the existing, smaller data center at Hope Hull, about 12 miles away, has become the single largest user of water in the Montgomery water system according to a local official, and that in Newton County, Georgia residents reported contaminated drinking water, appliance damage, and reduced water pressure after blasting for data center construction, with bills set to rise 33 percent over two years. She closes: "Until the people of Lowndes County receive the answers, protections, and accountability they deserve, I join them in opposing the proposed data center."
Why I oppose the proposed data center in Lowndes County: op-ed from U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, al.com (2026-07-31). Guest opinion column, with the closing bio line "U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell represents the 7th Congressional District in Alabama, which includes Lowndes County where she held a town hall Thursday night (July 30) on the data center issue." — view source
Sewell cosponsors the federal moratorium bill
ReportedIn July 2026, Rep. Terri Sewell announced that she had cosponsored the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would temporarily pause construction and major expansion of AI data centers until Congress establishes a federal framework covering environmental impact, energy and water use, labor standards, privacy, community engagement, and economic development. The bill was introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the House and Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Senate.
Rep. Sewell cosponsors Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, Alabama Political Reporter (2026-07-22). Cosponsorship announcement — view source
Sewell town hall, July 30, 2026
ReportedRep. Terri Sewell held a community conversation on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the Beulah Wellness Center, 256 Beulah Circle, Hope Hull, with Rep. Shomari Figures as a guest. The advance announcement described it as a discussion of issues affecting Lowndes County with questions taken directly from residents, and did not list the data center as a scheduled topic.
Rep. Sewell to host Community Conversation in Lowndes County with Rep. Figures, Alabama Political Reporter (2026-07-29). Advance announcement — view source
The Voice of Alabama Politics segment
ReportedOn August 2, 2026, the Alabama Political Reporter program The Voice of Alabama Politics devoted a segment to the data center proposed in Lowndes County and titled it "Sacred Ground." The panel says it favors data centers and argues against this location: "I'm all for data centers because I use a lot of data. But, Josh, this is sacred ground, and this is not where we should be building because the land is cheap." On process, the panel says: "We've got to have some sort of a process that's open and transparent for the people, so that everybody is on the same page about what is allowed, what isn't allowed."
August 2, 2026 - Data Centers, Closed Primaries, and a Democrat Party Reset, The Voice of Alabama Politics (2026-08-02). Data center segment; the program burns the title "SACRED GROUND" into its own lower third at 00:15 of the excerpt — view source
Petition signatures, current count
ReportedThe Change.org petition "Prevent big DATA CENTERS from building in Lowndes County and Hope Hull," started April 9, 2026 by Skyler Sherker, has more than 1,900 signatures.
Prevent big DATA CENTERS from building in Lowndes County and Hope Hull, Change.org (2026-04-09). Signature counter on the petition page — view source
Homes within 2 miles
ReportedProbate Judge Adrian Johnson estimated that 251 homes, roughly 750 people, fall within a two-mile radius of the proposed site.
Lowndes County debates data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-04-29). April 28, 2026 Commission meeting coverage — view source
Who attended the open house
ReportedCloverleaf CEO David Berry, Chief Development Officer Aaron Bilyeu, and Development Principal Michael Evans attended the June 3, 2026 open house. A peaceful protest was held outside a law-enforcement perimeter.
Cloverleaf, residents meet at open house, The Lowndes Signal (2026-06-04). Open house coverage — view source
Recusal request
ReportedResidents asked LCEDC Chairman Thomas Ellis, who also serves on the Pintlala Water Authority board, and Commission Chairman Charlie King Jr., who is the LCEDC’s vice chairman, to recuse from votes on the project. The county economic development commission has no written conflict-of-interest policy.
Commission resists transparency amid growing data center opposition, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-27). Commission meeting coverage — view source
Docket 33709 comment deadlines
ReportedPublic comments in Docket 33709 were due August 6, 2026 and replies are due August 21, 2026. Reporting confirms the proceeding reviews cost recovery only; it does not cover siting or environmental review for any specific project.
Alabama PSC opens review of data center power contracts, sets August comment deadlines, mynbc15 (2026-07-08). Docket opening coverage — view source
PSC candidate on large-load costs
ReportedSheila McNeil, a candidate for Public Service Commission Place 2, filed formal comments in Docket 33709 arguing that large-load customers, not existing ratepayers, should fund the grid infrastructure their facilities require, and called for public hearings in affected communities.
PSC candidate calls for protections when reviewing data center contracts, Alabama Political Reporter (2026-07-21). Candidate comment filing — view source
Data centers in the governor’s race
ReportedData centers, including Project Red Clay by name, became a topic in Alabama’s 2026 gubernatorial campaign coverage, with candidates offering differing views on state policy toward large-load projects.
Candidates in Alabama’s governor’s race discuss data centers in the state, WSFA 12 (2026-07-24). Campaign coverage — view source
Data centers as a 2026 election issue
ReportedHyperscale data centers became a top issue in Alabama’s 2026 midterm elections, with concerns over public health impacts and a lack of transparency growing among communities and public health experts. Both major-party nominees for governor have stated positions: Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville said Alabamians would not pay more for new data centers, and Democratic nominee Doug Jones called for a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers while guardrails are put in place.
Data centers emerge as top Alabama election issue as community concerns grow, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-03). Campaign coverage — view source
State senator on data centers and power rates
ReportedState Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) said Alabama needs data centers but should be deliberate about approving them, saying people "don’t want to see the power rates going up because some billionaire wanted to plop a data center down nearby." He also said that heavy data center power use could leave less capacity available for other employers considering the state.
State Sen. Arthur Orr: Data centers needed, 'just need to be deliberate about it all', Yellowhammer News (2026-08-03). Legislative comment — view source
Cloverleaf founder background
ReportedCloverleaf co-founder Brian Janous previously led energy strategy at Microsoft before starting the company.
Vantage explores data center development on Cloverleaf site in Port Washington, Wisconsin, DataCenterDynamics (2025-06-11). Company background — view source
Troy moratorium and 30 MW cap
ReportedTroy’s City Council approved a six-month moratorium on data processing centers by a 6-0 vote on March 16, 2026, following Planning Commission approval on March 12. At a June 2026 mid-moratorium update, officials said the rewritten ordinance would cap data centers at 30 megawatts, a ceiling that forecloses hyperscale development.
Troy City Council approves six-month moratorium on data processing centers, The Troy Times Tribune (2026-03-18). Council vote coverage — view source
Wrightstown referendum result
ReportedOf 1,184 votes cast in the August 11, 2026 advisory referendum, Wrightstown, Wisconsin voters rejected utility infrastructure for data centers 1,033 to 151, about 87 percent against.
Wrightstown residents vote no on data center referendum, WBAY (2026-08-12). Referendum result — view source
County-domain roster, May 2026 state
ReportedIn May 2026 the predecessor coalition documented the same lowndes-al.gov LCEDC page listing four officers with different names and titles: President Thomas Ellis (Priester’s Pecans), Secretary Cleve Poole (Pioneer Electric Cooperative), Treasurer John Lyon (BancorpSouth), and Economic Developer Jim Byard Jr. It listed Charlie King Jr. in no role. That documentation was archived by the Internet Archive on May 27, 2026. By July 28, 2026 the county page had changed to the current five-officer roster.
The LCEDC: three official rosters, 45strong.net, archived by the Internet Archive (2026-05-27). Roster comparison — view source
Verbal membership enumeration
ReportedAt the April 28, 2026 Lowndes County Commission meeting, LCEDC President Thomas Ellis verbally enumerated the LCEDC’s membership as including Alabama Power, Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Dixie Electric Cooperative, Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, Pintlala Water Works, South East Alabama Gas, both local banks, all five county commissioners, the school superintendent sitting in, and several named individuals. No written roster accompanied the enumeration.
Video of the April 28, 2026 Lowndes County Commission meeting, The Lowndes Signal, Facebook video (2026-04-28). LCEDC membership enumeration
Resident describes unity at July 27 meeting
ReportedJohn Urquhart, a north Lowndes County resident who has opposed the project, told commissioners at the July 27, 2026 meeting that citizens have come together in what he described as unprecedented unity to protect their way of life.
Citizens unite for Protect Lowndes County, The Lowndes Signal (2026-07-28). Article body — view source
Tuberville dismisses climate concern
ReportedOn July 14, 2026, at the Alabama Sheriff’s Association annual summer conference in Opelika, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville dismissed concerns that data centers harm the climate, saying "It makes too much noise. It’s going to ruin the climate — bull crap," and said opposition to data centers was coming from China.
Tuberville reaffirms data center support, says opposition driven by China, WSFA 12 (2026-07-15). Article body — view source
July 27: no answer, then executive session
ReportedAt the Lowndes County Commission’s regular meeting on July 27, 2026, residents spoke against the data center during public comment. No commissioner voted on the project, answered the questions put to them substantively, or committed to anything about it. The Commission then entered executive session and returned only to adjourn, without discussing the project in public.
Residents press Commission to reject data center, The Lowndes Signal (2026-07-31). Reporting by Logan Self on the July 27, 2026 meeting — view source
Ask: maximum water demand in writing
ReportedAt the July 27, 2026 Commission meeting, a resident asked the Commission to require written documentation of the project’s maximum water demand, reviewed by county counsel, rather than accepting a verbal assurance.
Residents press Commission to reject data center, The Lowndes Signal (2026-07-31). Public comment, Chuck Eggleston — view source
Sewell’s office announced the town hall from the podium
ReportedMelinda Williams, district director for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, announced the July 30, 2026 town hall from the podium at the Lowndes County Commission’s July 27, 2026 meeting. She described it as covering multiple topics rather than focusing only on the data center.
Residents press Commission to reject data center, The Lowndes Signal (2026-07-31). Announcements, Melinda Williams — view source
R. Bernard Lee op-ed
ReportedOn August 2, 2026, R. Bernard Lee, president of the Lowndesboro School Alumni Association, published an opinion piece in The Lowndes Signal arguing that the Red Clay project threatens the county’s heritage, health, and future. He argues that large industrial complexes sited in rural, majority-Black communities have produced little local employment while imposing environmental burdens, and points to similar developments in Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina. He writes as the grandson of Tommie Gilchrist, who marched from Selma to Montgomery on March 23, 1965 and belonged to the Lowndes County Freedom Organization.
Red Clay project threatens our heritage, health, future, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-02). Guest opinion, with the author line "President, Lowndesboro School Alumni Association" — view source
A large-load contract on the PSC record
ReportedAlabama Power has submitted to the Alabama Public Service Commission an electric-service contract for a data center in Birmingham’s Oxmoor Valley, Jefferson County. The customer is named as Alabama ADC Holdings, LLC, the owner of the proposed Nebius AI factory site. A public version of the contract can be read.
Public can read Alabama Power’s data center contract, just not parts that could affect bill, WSFA 12 (2026-07-30). Reporting by Jennifer Horton — view source
What the public version withholds
ReportedThe public version of the Alabama Power data-center contract withholds the contract’s initial term, the customer’s contract capacity, the pricing and the pricing schedule, the required financial security amount, the load-buildup period, the annual energy thresholds, and the minimum-bill terms.
Public can read Alabama Power’s data center contract, just not parts that could affect bill, WSFA 12 (2026-07-30). Reporting by Jennifer Horton, listing the redactions — view source
Alabama Power on cost shifting
ReportedAlabama Power states that the proposed contract recovers all incremental costs associated with serving the data center and puts downward pressure on rates, and that it includes a minimum term, upfront payments, security and collateral, and minimum payment requirements intended to prevent costs from being shifted to other customers.
Public can read Alabama Power’s data center contract, just not parts that could affect bill, WSFA 12 (2026-07-30). Reporting by Jennifer Horton, quoting the utility’s filing — view source
Josh Moon: a statewide pattern of secret deals
ReportedOn August 12, 2026, Alabama Political Reporter columnist Josh Moon published an opinion piece arguing that Alabama lawmakers have let data center developers and local officials strike deals with minimal public transparency. He names a "massive data center planned for Lowndes County" that was "kept secret until the project was all but finalized," going up "a short distance from the historic Civil Rights Trail, where marchers in 1965 traveled from Selma to Montgomery." He names no company for the Lowndes project. He places it alongside three other examples: Bessemer, where city officials signed an NDA requiring them to "destroy records, including notes taken by city lawmakers" at a developer's request; Columbiana, where the outgoing mayor "committed the town to a data center deal that apparently no other city official ever voted on"; and Brookwood, where a "2 million-square-foot data center" is being built "across from the town's middle school." He calls for a moratorium on new data center approvals paired with new legislation and oversight.
Your lawmakers are selling you out on data centers. There's a fix for that., Alabama Political Reporter (2026-08-12). Guest opinion column — view source
Pastor Tom Gardner addresses the Commission
ReportedAt the Lowndes County Commission meeting on May 26, 2026, Pastor Tom Gardner told commissioners that things he had been told about the project turned out not to be true, said he did not understand how the data center could benefit a county that has no hotel and no restaurant, and closed by telling residents not to give up.
Pastor Tom Gardner addressing the Lowndes County Commission, May 26, 2026, Recording of the public meeting (2026-05-26). Gardner's remarks, condensed from the meeting recording — view source
NPS on development along the route
ReportedThe National Park Service’s 2015 Foundation Document for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail lists, among the trail’s planning needs and issues, "increasing concerns about viewshed encroachment from incompatible development along US Highway 80."
Foundation Document, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, National Park Service (2015-01-01). Planning needs and issues — view source
A landowner on what he bought the land for
ReportedJohn Urquhart, who bought 230 acres in Lowndes County with his grandchildren in mind and who told al.com he has voted Republican for a long time, said of the proposed data center: "This property was going to be my legacy to them, and now there’s this monstrosity that could be going up a hundred yards away."
In rural Alabama, voters feel sold out to massive data centers: ‘Slap in the face’, al.com (2026-08-09). Reporting by Ruth Serven Smith — view source
A judge answers the China claim
ReportedAdrian Johnson, a local judge who lives near the proposed site, told al.com: "We’re told if you don’t get behind this development, you’re in league with a Chinese communist. Well, I haven’t seen any communists in Lowndes County, and I haven’t seen Tommy Tuberville either."
In rural Alabama, voters feel sold out to massive data centers: ‘Slap in the face’, al.com (2026-08-09). Reporting by Ruth Serven Smith — view source
North Birmingham bribery case
ReportedIn 2018 a federal jury convicted a partner at the law firm Balch & Bingham and an executive of Drummond Company of bribing state Rep. Oliver Robinson to oppose an EPA cleanup in majority-Black neighborhoods of North Birmingham. The Energy and Policy Institute, citing court records, reported that Alabama Power "contributed at least $30,000 in 2015 to the Alliance for Jobs and the Economy," the group through which Robinson was paid. Alabama Power was not charged in the case.
New records suggest Alabama Power paid millions to shadowy consulting groups involved in scandals throughout the Southeast, Energy and Policy Institute (2022-01-13). Alliance for Jobs and the Economy contributions — view source
ADEM coal ash fines
ReportedIn March 2018 the Alabama Department of Environmental Management fined Alabama Power a total of $1.25 million, $250,000 at each of five plants, over groundwater contamination at coal ash sites, based on the company’s own testing showing elevated arsenic, lead, selenium, and beryllium.
Alabama Power Faces $1.25 Million Fine for Groundwater Pollution from Toxic Coal Ash Pits, Southern Environmental Law Center (2018-03-02). Press release — view source
EPA denies Alabama’s coal ash program
ReportedThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied Alabama’s application to run its own coal combustion residuals permit program in place of the federal program, publishing the final denial in the Federal Register on June 7, 2024, effective July 8, 2024. It was the first such state program denial.
Alabama: Denial of State Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program, Federal Register, U.S. EPA (2024-06-07). Final rule — view source
NAACP Coal Blooded grades
ReportedThe NAACP’s 2012 report Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People graded 378 coal plants on environmental justice performance and gave failing grades to two Alabama Power plants, Gadsden and Greene County, among the 75 failing plants nationally. It graded the parent Southern Company an F and ranked it eleventh worst among the companies assessed.
Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People, NAACP, Indigenous Environmental Network, and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (2012-11-01). Plant rankings and Appendix II corporate ranking — view source
No formal rate case since 1982
ReportedInside Climate News reported that the Alabama Public Service Commission approved Alabama Power’s Rate Stabilization and Equalization formula in 1982 and that "that was the last time Alabama Power held a formal rate case that nearly all other states require." The same reporting states that the company’s "customers shouldered the highest total electric bills in the country last year."
How George Wallace and Bull Connor Set the Stage for Alabama’s Sky-High Electric Rates, Inside Climate News, via Alabama Reflector (2025-12-26). Reporting by Dennis Pillion — view source
The existing Hope Hull campus: size and investment
ReportedThe operator of the existing data center campus in Montgomery County announced in September 2025 that it is adding two buildings, growing the campus to nearly 1.3 million square feet and its total investment there to more than $1.5 billion, with more than 100 operational jobs anticipated once the expansion is complete.
Montgomery, we’re growing!, The operator’s data-center newsroom, datacenters.atmeta.com (2025-09-23). Expansion announcement — view source
First community-benefit grants awarded
ReportedOn August 18, 2026, the Central Alabama Community Foundation and Project Red Clay announced $125,000 in grants to two Lowndes County organizations. Hope Inspired Ministries received $50,000 to fund a full-time life coach position shared between Calhoun School and Central High School, working year-round and offering one-on-one mentoring, financial literacy training, and résumé building. The Organized Community Action Program received $75,000, of which $50,000 is utility assistance split evenly between cooling and heating bills to help households avoid power disconnections, and $25,000 funds home weatherization including window, HVAC, and roof repairs and insulation.
Lowndes County nonprofits awarded grants for mentoring, energy assistance, WSFA 12 News (2026-08-18). WSFA 12 News Staff, published 8:40 p.m. CDT; corroborated by CACF’s own announcement — view source
The grant fund is ongoing
ReportedThe August 18, 2026 announcement describes an ongoing Cloverleaf Project Red Clay Grant Fund with an online application portal that remains open to eligible Lowndes County nonprofits and civic organizations, and states that the Central Alabama Community Foundation and Project Red Clay plan to announce more local grants in the coming months.
Central Alabama Community Foundation and Project Red Clay Award $50,000 to Hope Inspired Ministries, Central Alabama Community Foundation (2026-08-18). Announcement body, grant fund and application portal — view source
Developer’s awarded total
ReportedIn a statement issued Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Cloverleaf Infrastructure said that of the first $1 million invested with the Central Alabama Community Foundation for 2026, the following had been awarded: $75,000 to the Organized Community Action Program, $50,000 to Hope Inspired Ministries, $14,234 to the "Burkeville Fire Department", $10,860 to the Calhoun Fire Department, and $5,426 to the Hicks Hill/Black Belt Volunteer Fire Department. Those five figures total $155,520. The company said the remaining balance of the initial $1 million has not yet been allocated or awarded.
Cloverleaf outlines initial community investment, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-26). Lanell Downs Smith; developer statement quoted at length — view source
Foundation’s distributed total
ReportedOn August 28, 2026, the Central Alabama Community Foundation said it had distributed $141,286 in total funding in Lowndes County from the Cloverleaf Project Red Clay Grant Fund. The figure was reported alongside the presentation of a $10,860 check to the Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department, for three self-contained breathing apparatus air packs, and a $5,426 check to the Hicks Hill/Black Belt Volunteer Fire Department, for two complete sets of turnout gear.
Two Lowndes County volunteer fire departments surprised with grants, WAKA 8 (2026-08-28). Running total attributed to CACF — view source
Burkville VFD declines the grant
ReportedThe Burkville Volunteer Fire Department board met on Thursday, August 27, 2026 and voted unanimously to suspend accepting any donation or grant money originating from Cloverleaf until, in the words of board vice president Charles Madaris, "it is imminently clear that a data center is going to be built." Madaris said the Central Alabama Community Foundation was prepared to bring a check for $14,234, and that it was turned down ahead of the vote. Speaking the day before, after Cloverleaf listed the department among its grant recipients, Madaris said: "As of today, we, as the board, have not been presented with any money. It has not been offered to us by any entity formally. And the fire department has not taken any money from the data center or any grant affiliated with the data center." The department stands directly across Lowndes County Highway 37 from the site of the proposed project entrance.
Burkville volunteers suspend accepting data center funds, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-28). Lanell Downs Smith; Madaris quoted, board vote reported — view source
A commissioner requested one of the grants
ReportedThe Lowndes Signal reported on August 26, 2026 that Lowndes County Commissioner Fletcher Hayes is the fire chief for the Calhoun volunteer fire department, which Cloverleaf listed as receiving $10,860 from its community fund, and that he requested the equipment the grant paid for. "It was used for the SCBA equipment, the air packs firemen use for a breathing apparatus," Hayes told the newspaper. "They asked for some things I need, so I gave them that [request]."
Cloverleaf outlines initial community investment, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-26). Lanell Downs Smith; Hayes quoted directly — view source
Statewide proposed data-center load
ReportedAn Inside Climate News analysis published August 19, 2026 documented more than a dozen proposed data center developments across Alabama and found that, if built to full capacity, those campuses would consume more energy than all of the homes in Alabama combined. The same report describes Project Red Clay as "nearly universally opposed by the county’s majority-Black residents" and places it just over a mile from the Robert Gardner farm, where marchers camped overnight during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march.
Proposed Data Centers Could Use More Electricity Than All Alabama Homes Combined, Analysis Shows. Who Will Pay?, Inside Climate News (2026-08-19). Reporting by Lee Hedgepeth, fourth in the "Wired for Profit" series — view source
Permit and options handed to the Commission
ReportedAt the Lowndes County Commission’s August 10, 2026 meeting, Burkville resident John Urquhart gave each commissioner a copy of the ADEM construction stormwater permit effective July 8, 2026 for the Red Clay Technology Campus, together with copies of purchase option agreements covering roughly 1,050 acres. He described the arrangement as a "shell game" that "drove everyone off seeking information about Project Red Clay and delayed permit response times." He asked for an update on the open-records request delivered to commissioners on July 27; County Attorney Prince Chestnut said a response would come before the end of the thirty-day window, and told Commissioner Dickson Farrior he would ask the economic development board’s attorney for an update on the separate request sent to that body.
Commission reviews data center ADEM permits, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-19). Reporting by Lanell Downs Smith — view source
Jones calls for a one-year moratorium
ReportedAt an August 13, 2026 event at Beulah Primitive Baptist Church in Hope Hull attended by about 50 residents, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones called for a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction and urged the Public Service Commission to adopt its own pause on approving data center contracts while transparency standards are written. He called for disclosure "from start to finish" covering environmental impacts, project size, and ownership, and criticized non-disclosure agreements signed by public officials along with the use of shell corporations and option contracts. He said of the process: "Everything done behind closed doors, no transparency, nobody really knows what's going on down here." State Rep. Phillip Ensler, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, also spoke.
Doug Jones calls for more data center transparency and accountability at Lowndes County event, Alabama Daily News (2026-08-13). Reporting by Claire Harrison — view source
Billboard campaign reported
ReportedYellowhammer News reported on August 24, 2026 that Protect Lowndes County has placed billboards opposing Project Red Clay along I-85 southbound near the Chantilly exit in Montgomery, I-65 northbound leaving Lowndes County near the Fairview exit, and U.S. Highway 80 entering Lowndes County, each directing motorists to ProtectLowndesCounty.org. The article describes the group as circulating a petition calling on the Lowndes County Commission to identify all entities and tenants involved, disclose water, energy and economic information, and make project documents publicly available, and reports that the group is encouraging motorists who see the billboards to photograph and share them online.
Billboards go up in opposition to Lowndes County data center, Yellowhammer News (2026-08-24). Reporting by Sawyer Knowles — view source
The August 24 meeting: turnout and the zoning resolution
ReportedAt least 150 Lowndes County residents gathered at the courthouse for the Commission’s regular meeting on August 24, 2026, to demand transparency about Project Red Clay. Commissioners said Monday they had no information to share with the public. At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Robert Harris put forward a resolution to support state legislation that would grant the county planning and zoning authority; it passed unanimously.
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
The petition, read into the record
ReportedResident John Urquhart read Protect Lowndes County’s petition to the commissioners at the August 24, 2026 meeting. Alabama Reflector reports about 350 people had signed it, asking the commission to comply with the July 27 open-records request, list every entity involved in the project, disclose infrastructure impacts, and create a public online dashboard tracking the project. Urquhart, who lives on 230 acres adjacent to the planned site, told the Reflector: "We’ve asked for answers since April. Our commissioners have given us absolutely nothing."
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
The developer, on the record about Sandstone Cliffs
ReportedIn a statement the evening of August 24, 2026, the developers of Project Red Clay said they created a separate LLC, Sandstone Cliffs DevCo, to operate the beginning phases of the project, and that Cloverleaf owns the LLC and is responsible for it. The statement said the company would not reveal the operator of the data center because an agreement has not been finalized.
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
Development-stage cost, per the August 24 statement
ReportedThe same August 24, 2026 developer statement put the project’s cost at "at least $1.5 billion" in the development stage.
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
The records request, on the record at last
ReportedRyan Anderson, a staff attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, told the Commission on August 24, 2026 that the county has acknowledged the July 27 open-records request but that SELC has "not received any substantive documents." SELC said it plans further records requests to the Pintlala Water System and the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission.
Lowndes County residents intensify fight against Project Red Clay data center, WSFA 12 News (2026-08-24). Reporting by Jessica Knox — view source
Anderson to the commission: transparency is the law
ReportedAddressing the Commission on August 24, 2026, Ryan Anderson of the Southern Environmental Law Center said: "Transparency isn’t a courtesy the commission extends to the public. It’s the law, and it’s the foundation of the public’s trust and how this decision gets made." Mid-remarks, Commission Chairman Charlie King Jr. struck the gavel, signaling she was out of time. Vice Chair Dickson Farrior moved to let her finish; the commission approved the motion, and she resumed to applause.
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
King polls the dais, and the room answers
ReportedAt the August 24, 2026 meeting, Commission Chairman Charlie King Jr. went down the line, asking each commissioner and the county attorney if they had information to share about the data center. "We do not have any information that we’re holding back," Chairman King said. AL.com reports that residents shouted "Boo! Liar!" from the benches.
Small Alabama county takes step toward zoning after data center backlash, al.com (2026-08-25). Reporting by Hannah Denham, published 10:11 a.m., updated 10:12 a.m. — view source
The gavel at two minutes
ReportedAL.com reports that at another point in the August 24, 2026 meeting, Chairman Charlie King Jr. slammed his gavel at the two-minute mark, cutting off several speakers and raising his voice, saying: "Your time is up!" That was met with boos from the crowd of residents, and the commission had to take a vote to let Ryan Anderson, attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, continue speaking.
Small Alabama county takes step toward zoning after data center backlash, al.com (2026-08-25). Reporting by Hannah Denham — view source
Scott: look at us
ReportedResident Marvenita Scott, speaking at the August 24, 2026 meeting, said: "We’re asking for transparency. Stop ignoring the people because the people are who you’re supposed to be representing. Stop looking through us and look at us."
Small Alabama county takes step toward zoning after data center backlash, al.com (2026-08-25). Reporting by Hannah Denham — view source
Williams: do you live within the radius
ReportedResident Felicia Williams asked the Commission on August 24, 2026 to pass a local ordinance regulating noise emissions and to require an independent environmental study of the data center’s potential pollution, water and energy impacts. "Do you all live within the radius of this proposed data center?" Williams asked. "We do not want a data center in Lowndes County."
Small Alabama county takes step toward zoning after data center backlash, al.com (2026-08-25). Reporting by Hannah Denham — view source
Cloverleaf: committed to being open and transparent
ReportedCloverleaf Infrastructure’s chief development officer, Aaron Bilyeu, previously told al.com: "We are committed to being open and transparent about their concerns and listening to their concerns." The company hosted an open house in June 2026 to answer questions from residents.
Small Alabama county takes step toward zoning after data center backlash, al.com (2026-08-25). Reporting by Hannah Denham, quoting a prior statement to the outlet — view source
Holt to her neighbors: resist apathy
ReportedResident Negatha Holt, speaking at the August 24, 2026 Commission meeting, addressed residents more than the commission and encouraged those living in Lowndes County to resist apathy, saying: "The power of the people is greater than the people in power."
Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development, Alabama Reflector (2026-08-25). Reporting by Anna Barrett — view source
The reported figure on Nvidia’s stake
ReportedThe Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia’s investment in Cloverleaf will likely total "several hundred million dollars," according to TechCrunch and Bisnow, both of which attribute the figure to the Journal.
Nvidia partners with data center developer Cloverleaf, TechCrunch (2026-08-21). Reporting by Lucas Ropek, citing the Wall Street Journal — view source
Lester Pitts letter to the editor
ReportedOn August 26, 2026, Lester Pitts published a letter to the editor in The Lowndes Signal headlined "Letter to the Editor: Data center nightmare disturbs home dream." He writes that he bought 105 acres directly across from the proposed site and describes himself as a future resident of Lowndes County who wanted a quiet piece of land to raise his son on, away from Montgomery. He argues that roughly 250 homes around the site would be affected by the sight, sound and unknown effects of the data center, that only a handful of people would be employed by the final user, and that most of those benefiting would come from outside the county. He asks why elected officials would go against the wishes of so many people in the area.
Letter to the Editor: Data center nightmare disturbs home dream, The Lowndes Signal (2026-08-26). Opinion, letter to the editor, signed Lester Pitts — view source
Cloverleaf business model
ReportedCloverleaf Infrastructure describes itself as a developer of clean-powered, ready-to-build sites: it acquires land and secures power, then sells the assembled package to hyperscale operators. The end operator is typically a different company from the one that appears at the county meeting.
Project Red Clay / company description, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-07-10). Developer website, corroborated by Yellowhammer News — view source
National pipeline
ReportedCloverleaf is pursuing projects totaling 10 to 15 gigawatts of peak power capacity across all of its sites. Lowndes County is one node in a much larger national pipeline.
Investors embrace Cloverleaf’s energy-first approach to data centers, Latitude Media (2026-01-01). Company pipeline — view source
Hope Hull: the public number and the contract
ReportedA water-service contract for a large data center at Hope Hull, obtained through an open-records request, allocates roughly 150,000 gallons per day plus roughly 90,000 gallons per day of wastewater. The publicly stated figure for that facility had been roughly 30,000 gallons per day, and the wastewater allocation was never disclosed publicly.
Water-service contract obtained by open-records request, Montgomery-area water system (2026-05-01). Open-records production
Water board and development board overlap
ReportedThomas Ellis, who chairs the LCEDC, the body recruiting the project, also sits on the board of the Pintlala Water Authority, the utility named as a water source for it. The same person would sit on both sides of that question.
Commission resists transparency amid growing data center opposition, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-27). Commission meeting coverage — view source
Forecast probability
ReportedAnalysis of a December 2025 Greenlink report found that projected demand growth across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina has roughly a 0.2 percent probability of materializing as forecast.
Experts say data center growth is speculative, Southern Environmental Law Center (2025-12-01). Greenlink analysis — view source
HB399 sent to the Governor
ReportedThe Alabama Senate sent HB399 to the Governor on April 10, 2026. The bill caps the data processing center property-tax abatement at 20 years, down from 30, for any abatement granted on or after January 1, 2027, preserving a longer ceiling only through a binding agreement committing to qualified local investments.
Alabama Senate sends bill to limit data center tax breaks to Governor, Alabama Reporter (2026-04-10). Legislative action — view source
Backup generator emissions
ReportedDiesel backup generators emit substantially more nitrogen oxides than equivalent natural-gas generation, and during outages a single facility can release a large share of its annual permitted emissions in a matter of days.
California Agency Urged to Protect Public Health, Environment From Data Center Diesel Generators, Center for Biological Diversity (2026-04-22). Advocacy filing — view source
Modeled public-health burden
ReportedPublished modeling projects that U.S. data centers could contribute to roughly 1,300 deaths per year by 2030, with an associated public-health burden in excess of $20 billion annually.
Health implications of the rapid rise of data centers in Virginia: an exploratory assessment, Frontiers in Climate (2026-01-01). Exploratory assessment — view source
Projects blocked or delayed
ReportedA national registry tracks $64 billion in U.S. data-center projects blocked or delayed by community opposition, and nearly 200 active community groups across more than 24 states.
Data Center Watch report, Data Center Watch (2026-01-01). National registry — view source
Assurance to ratepayers
ReportedThe chair of the county economic development board cited assurances from Alabama Power and PowerSouth that current ratepayers will not be impacted. The underlying contract and cost-allocation study that would support that assurance are not public.
Stakeholders consider potential data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-26). Utility statement — view source
How the company describes the facility
ReportedCloverleaf representatives described the facility to The Lowndes Signal as quiet and low-traffic, with closed-loop cooling and roughly 100 cars per day.
Cloverleaf emphasizes data center benefits amid community concerns, The Lowndes Signal (2026-06-01). Company interview — view source
8 entries
Disputed
More than one figure exists. We keep every version with its date and speaker instead of averaging them.
Footprint, revised figure
DisputedA June 2026 coalition meeting summary put the project at 3.7 million square feet, described as "115 acres under roof" and as a downward revision from an earlier 5 million.
NRDC/SELC meeting summary, NRDC / Southern Environmental Law Center (2026-06-29). Meeting summary
Investment (website)
DisputedThe developer’s website describes "over $1 billion in taxable investment."
Project Red Clay, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-07-10). Developer website — view source
Investment (spoken)
DisputedAt the May 26, 2026 Commission meeting, Charlie King stated: "This project is $1.5 billion."
Stakeholders consider potential data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-26). Commission meeting — view source
Permanent jobs (website)
DisputedThe developer’s website describes "at least 50" permanent jobs.
Project Red Clay, Cloverleaf Infrastructure (2026-07-10). Developer website — view source
Permanent jobs (King/WSFA)
DisputedCharlie King, via WSFA reporting on the April 28, 2026 meeting, described 50 to 100 permanent jobs.
Lowndes County leaders, residents continue debate over Project Red Clay, WSFA 12 (2026-04-30). From the 2026-04-28 meeting — view source
Permanent jobs (coalition)
DisputedA June 2026 coalition summary recorded 50 to 200 permanent jobs.
NRDC/SELC meeting summary, NRDC / Southern Environmental Law Center (2026-06-29). Meeting summary
Permanent jobs (WSFA interview)
DisputedA WSFA interview with Cloverleaf described 200 to 300 permanent jobs.
Cloverleaf responds to Lowndes County data center concerns, WSFA 12 (2026-06-04). WSFA interview — view source
Projected county tax figure
DisputedA project briefing reported a $1.5 billion investment claim and a $75 million projected net annual tax revenue figure. The assumptions behind the projection have not been published.
Stakeholders consider potential data center project, The Lowndes Signal (2026-05-26). Project briefing — view source
1 entry
Unverified
A lead we are carrying openly at a lower grade until we can put the primary document in your hands.
Asked if he would live next to it
UnverifiedAt the same June 3, 2026 open house, asked whether he would build a home for his own family next to a data center of the kind Cloverleaf proposes, the Chief Development Officer answered "No."
Cloverleaf community open house, Hayneville Middle School, Account of coalition members present (2026-06-03). Open house, 2026-06-03
3 entries
Superseded
A retired figure, kept visible with its date so the trajectory of the claim stays legible.
Footprint, original figure
SupersededThe original proposal circulated in the community described roughly 5 million square feet.
Opposition mounts against proposed data center, The Lowndes Signal (2026-04-01). Early coalition material — view source
Petition signatures
SupersededA petition opposing the project surpassed 1,000 signatures, more than 10 percent of the county’s population of roughly 9,300, and was presented to the Commission.
More than 1,000 sign petition opposing proposed Lowndes County data center as debate intensifies, WSFA 12 (2026-05-27). Commission meeting coverage — view source
Sites contested elsewhere
SupersededCloverleaf proposals have been contested in multiple states. Manitowoc County, Wisconsin enacted an 18-month data-center moratorium in April 2026. A Canadian County (Piedmont), Oklahoma rezoning was tabled in June 2026. In Columbia County, Georgia the Byrd Farms rezoning was denied 4-1 while a separate site was approved with conditions. In Monroe County, Georgia a Bolingbroke-area site was denied while the Rum Creek campus remains active.
Expanded Cloverleaf site record, Coalition opposition research with regional reporting (2026-06-01). Compiled record, primary links being appended
5 entries
Not disclosed
A genuine unknown. The project has not released it, so we render a labeled gap rather than a guess.
Serving utility
Not disclosedWhich utility serves the specific parcel has not been settled in the record. The 1,500 MW figure is attributed to Alabama Power; earlier material also names Pioneer Electric.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Request scope: utility and infrastructure planning — view source
Peak water demand
Not disclosedThe initial fill volume and schedule, makeup water under peak heat and humidity, blowdown, fire-flow demand, construction-period demand, and wastewater volume, composition, and disposal are not disclosed.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Request scope: environmental and noise studies — view source
Abatement dollar value
Not disclosedThe dollar value of the abatement has not been disclosed. The nearest figures are a Cloverleaf-claimed gross county tax figure of roughly $75 million and, for a different Cloverleaf site in Georgia, roughly $20 million projected annual local tax revenue at full buildout.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Request scope: incentive and tax-abatement discussions — view source
Tenant identity
Not disclosedThe end user of the data center has not been named.
Records Request for Documents related to Project Red Clay Data Center, Southern Environmental Law Center and Natural Resources Defense Council (2026-07-27). Request scope: confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements — view source
Nvidia takes a minority stake in Cloverleaf
Not disclosedOn August 21, 2026, Cloverleaf Infrastructure announced a strategic partnership in which Nvidia takes a minority investment in the company. The terms were not disclosed. The partnership gives Cloverleaf access to Nvidia’s DSX reference architecture for data center design, and Cloverleaf says the investment supports building out "AI factories" and digital infrastructure nationally.
Cloverleaf Infrastructure Forms Strategic Partnership with NVIDIA to Accelerate Data Center Infrastructure Development, Cloverleaf Infrastructure / PR Newswire (2026-08-21). Company press release — view source
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