Brad Paisley ‘bucked off’ over data center proposal beside zoo
By RealWV Staff,
NASHVILLE, TN — County singer and native West Virginian Brad Paisley isn’t afraid to get a little mud on the tires or ride a buckin’ bull, so to speak. He has a long history of speaking for and against social causes near and dear to the Country Music Hall of Famer’s heart, particularly those involving animals and wildlife. And with millions of followers on social media, people listen when he speaks.
Over the weekend, Paisley posted a video to his social media accounts criticizing a proposed data center project beside the zoo in his adopted hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.
“This can’t happen,” Paisley posted. “An absolute nightmare scenario…they don’t have the power to build this, they don’t have the water. It doesn’t belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way not only from the zoo but from that area.”
“It’s not too late to stop it,” he said. “Let’s stop it. Build ’em somewhere else.”
According to local media reports, a company named DC Blox wants to develop the property into a data center larger than a football field, and the land is directly adjacent to the Nashville Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals representing more than 350 species.
Following Paisley’s video, an online petition against the project surged from a few thousand signatures to more than 367,000.
Zoo leaders said, “According to the public permit, the center would span 1.6 acres under one roof on a 23.5 acre lot, with two more buildings planned, plus a substation and support structures, using at least 50 megawatts of power. That amount of energy consumption is equal to 30,000 to 50,000 single-family homes. Pulling that amount of power 24/7 would put a strain on the community’s power grid which would have detrimental effects to the Zoo, nearby schools, and to the people of Tennessee’s most ethnically diverse communities.”
“Constant noise from cooling systems and generators, and light pollution from bright security and operational lighting can dramatically affect animal behavior, disrupting their natural photo periods and rhythms. Stress on the animals from these factors can be detrimental to our conservation efforts, especially our clouded leopard breeding program,” they stressed.
According to a May 2026 Gallup poll, 7 in 10 Americans opposed a data center being built near them.
The issue also played a prominent role in primary elections across West Virginia this spring, with residents expressing concerns about proposed data centers in locations including Berkeley County. Late last month, residents in Mason County experienced major flooding resulting from runoff at a data center construction site. Company officials say they will cover the costs of all damages.
State officials in West Virginia say data centers are a “tremendous opportunity” economically, but local residents seem to side with their beloved native son, Brad Paisley on the matter. They recognize that data centers may be needed in the modern world, but “build ’em somewhere else.”
Author
