Billboards opposing a massive hyperscale data center project in Lowndes County are now visible along major Alabama highways, marking a significant escalation in organized resistance to the development known as Project Red Clay.
Protect Lowndes County, a grassroots residents group, announced that it has placed billboards at three strategic locations: along I-85 southbound near the Chantilly exit in Montgomery, along I-65 northbound leaving Lowndes County near the Fairview exit, and on U.S. Highway 80 entering Lowndes County. The billboards direct motorists to ProtectLowndesCounty.org, where the organization is mobilizing opposition to the project.
What Is Project Red Clay?
Project Red Clay is a proposed hyperscale data center development being pursued by Houston and Seattle-based Cloverleaf Infrastructure. The company has assembled more than 800 acres in northeastern Lowndes County for the project, which industry trackers have listed as a planned 1,500-megawatt facility spanning nearly 3 million square feet.
Cloverleaf is developing the site for an eventual owner or operator that has not been publicly identified. A formal tax-abatement request had not been filed as of previous reporting, though county officials have discussed whether the project could qualify for an abatement lasting up to 30 years.
Civil Rights History Adds Layer to Debate
The opposition campaign carries historical weight given the project’s proximity to the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail. The proposed site sits roughly half a mile from a field where civil rights marchers camped during the 1965 voting rights march, a detail that has added emotional resonance to the debate.
“The Selma to Montgomery March passed through this land. People bled for the right to be heard here,” the group stated. “Now an out-of-state developer wants to drop a hyperscale data center on top of it, and the folks who actually live here were the last to find out.”
Group Demands Transparency
Protect Lowndes County is circulating a petition calling on the Lowndes County Commission to take several steps before moving forward with the project. The demands include identifying all entities and tenants involved, disclosing water, energy and economic impact information, and making all project documents publicly available.
The group is encouraging motorists who spot the new billboards to photograph and share them on social media as part of a broader awareness campaign. As debate over data center development intensifies across Alabama, the Lowndes County situation is emerging as a flashpoint in the conversation about balancing economic development with community input and environmental concerns.