FAQ
How will the Eastern Kentucky communities benefit?
The Muskie Data Campus project is expected to create meaningful employment in Eastern Kentucky, including construction, full-time operations, and contractor roles. The project is also expected to strengthen the local tax base and support long-term investment in schools, infrastructure, and public services. TeraWulf intends to work closely with local officials, economic development organizations, and regional educational institutions on workforce development and community engagement initiatives.
How many jobs are expected and when?
Construction activity is expected to begin in 2027 and continue through a multi-phase buildout. TeraWulf currently expects approximately 80-100 permanent, high-quality operational roles associated with the initial phase of the campus, with additional employment opportunities expected through future expansion, contractors, and eventual campus tenants.
Where will the workforce come from?
TeraWulf intends to retain a significant portion of the workforce locally from communities across Eastern Kentucky.
This includes partnership with the Ashland Community & Technical College and other regional institutions to support workforce training and apprenticeship programs.
Will the campus use significant water resources?
No. The campus will use a sealed, closed-loop cooling system that requires only minimal utility water and does not consume or discharge water during normal operations. The closed-loop system for each building is filled up once at building completion with water available onsite and is continuously recycled. Heat is rejected through air-to-fluid exchangers, eliminating the need for evaporative or open-loop cooling towers. The water used to fill the closed-loop system normally requires replacement every 10-15 years.
Will there be noise impacts?
The campus is designed to maintain operational sound levels below local requirements. Noise impacts at the property boundary are expected to be limited and within the range of existing ambient industrial noise levels.
The results will be evaluated against all applicable noise standards, and TeraWulf will continue working collaboratively with the community throughout the process.
Will the project raise electricity prices?
The campus will pay the full published industrial tariff rate with no subsidies or discounts. The PSC-approved tariff includes strong ratepayer protections — a 20-year contract, a 90% minimum billing floor, approximately $631 million in total collateral, and exit fees — designed so existing customers are not left paying costs caused by a large new customer.
Large industrial customers also help spread the utility's fixed costs across a broader base, reducing upward pressure on rates. AEP's experience serving data center load across multiple states has consistently shown that revenue from large customers exceeds the incremental cost to serve them.
What about environmental impacts?
The campus will be a reclaimed brownfield development designed with minimal environmental disruption. The campus will use a fully sealed, closed-loop cooling system that continuously recirculates the same fluid without drawing from or discharging to local water sources during normal operations.
When will operations begin?
Initial site development activities are expected to begin following completion of planning and permitting activities. Initial operations are currently targeted for late 2028, with additional phases expected to come online beginning in 2029.
How large could the campus become?
The initial development phase is expected to support ~500 MW across two data center buildings, with additional expansion potential that could increase the campus beyond 1 GW over time, subject to customer demand and future development phases.
What will the site look like?
The campus will consist of modern, low-profile data center buildings within an established industrial park setting. The site will include landscaping and security infrastructure with phased development consistent with the character of the surrounding area.
What will the compute be used for?
The campus is designed to support AI workloads, including applications related to healthcare, scientific research, natural language processing, and autonomous systems.
Will there be a community meeting or opportunities for public engagement?
Yes, TeraWulf intends to continue engaging with local officials, economic development organizations, educational institutions, contractors, and community stakeholders as the project advances through planning and development.
Check our Events page for upcoming community information sessions and job fairs.