Hawesville data center secures 20-year Anthropic lease at former Century Aluminum site
HAWESVILLE, Ky. — Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease with TeraWulf for a planned data center at Hawesville’s former Century Aluminum site, creating a potential new industrial anchor for the vacant property.
TeraWulf announced the lease July 6, 2026. The agreement for the company’s Justified DataPower campus is expected to produce approximately $19 billion in contracted revenue over 20 years. The project is not operating yet: TeraWulf’s filing with the Kentucky Public Service Commission describes a 482-megawatt data center targeted to begin operations in fall 2027.
Power agreement still under review
The PSC filing says TeraWulf acquired the Hawesville property from Century Aluminum on Feb. 2, 2026. The company is seeking expedited review of a proposed power arrangement involving Big Rivers Electric and Kenergy.
Under the arrangement described in the filing, Big Rivers would purchase energy and capacity from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator markets, while Kenergy would serve the data center. TeraWulf would assume the market costs and risks associated with serving its load.
The final PSC decision and final power-service terms were not located in the approved reporting. The Hancock Clarion also reported that a PSC public hearing was held on the TeraWulf power agreement, but the record remains subject to the commission’s review.
Jobs and community response
The former Century Aluminum plant closed four years before the local television report and cost the area more than 600 jobs, according to that coverage. The same report cited expectations of more than 100 jobs from the data center project. That job figure is a local reporting estimate, not a binding employment commitment in the PSC filing.
The proposed redevelopment could restore employment at a major industrial site and expand Hancock County’s tax base. It also raises questions about electricity demand and wildlife protections as the project moves toward its planned operating date. The project’s final construction schedule and total capital cost have not been verified.
Community support is unsettled. The Hancock Clarion reported that a survey found 62% of Hancock County respondents opposed the project. The survey’s methodology and sample size were not available in the approved excerpt, so the result should not be treated as a definitive measure of countywide opinion.
For Hawesville residents, workers and local businesses, the next major decision is the PSC’s review of the power agreement. Development would then continue toward TeraWulf’s fall 2027 target, but the target is not a guarantee that the facility will be completed or operating by that time.
Sources
- AI company behind Claude signs $19 billion lease at a Kentucky data center campus, Lexington Herald-Leader
- TeraWulf Motion for Expedited Review, Kentucky Public Service Commission
- Hancock County community reacts to new data center, WFIE
- The Hancock Clarion
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