Kentucky Lawmaker Drafts Data Center Bill
Rep. Josh Bray is writing the leading data center measure for Kentucky's 2027 General Assembly after a bill died in the 2026 session.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Data Centers
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Kentucky Rep. Josh Bray, a Mount Vernon Republican, is crafting the leading data center bill for the 2027 General Assembly. The effort follows a data center bill that died on the final day of the 2026 legislative session.
Why it matters
Bray called data center legislation the most complicated issue he has tackled in office, and he said the infrastructure involves billions of dollars and an unusually large financial risk to the state. How Kentucky balances those risks will shape its approach to data center growth.
The only hard figure cited is a $2 billion to $3 billion cost to build a new power plant, a scale benchmark. The exact dollar impact of the proposed legislation on Kentucky ratepayers has not been quantified.
The players
Josh Bray
Josh Bray is a Republican state representative from Mount Vernon, Kentucky, who is leading the drafting of the data center legislation.
Robert Stivers
Robert Stivers is the Kentucky Senate President who said the legislature will keep the tax incentives it previously passed while adjusting their language.
The details
Rep. Josh Bray described the planned legislation as a policy framework that protects ratepayers first. Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said lawmakers plan to tweak language in existing tax incentives rather than eliminate them.
Timeline
The data center bill died on the final day of the 2026 Kentucky legislative session.
Kentucky lawmakers are expected to take another shot at a data center bill in the 2027 General Assembly.
Policy Context
Kentucky's legislature passed data center tax incentives that it says it will not eliminate, so the 2027 bill is expected to refine that existing framework instead of starting over. The new measure aims to make the state's tax treatment competitive with other states while putting ratepayers first.
Kentucky residents who pay electric bills could see the cost of new data center power demand reflected in their rates, which is why lawmakers say ratepayers will be protected first. The bill's final shape will determine how much of the infrastructure burden falls on households.
The takeaway
Kentucky's data center debate centers on balancing tax incentives against the financial risk of billions in power infrastructure. Readers should watch how the 2027 bill treats ratepayers, since that is where the costs will land.
What happens next
Kentucky lawmakers are expected to take up a data center bill when the 2027 General Assembly convenes.
Further reading
For broader background, see Data Centers coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WUKY-FM 91.3 Radio.
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Do you think Kentucky lawmakers should limit data center tax incentives?
