Loss of green smelter highlights Kentucky’s need for clean electricity

Loss of green smelter highlights Kentucky’s need for clean electricity

Century Aluminum is selling its idled Hawesville smelter in Western Kentucky to a data center company after choosing Oklahoma as the site for a new smelter, the first built in the U.S. since 1980. (Century Aluminum photo)This story was originally published by Canary Media. When I first met John Holbrook at his office in Northeastern Kentucky, the region seemed to be on the cusp of a revival. It was a scorching summer day in 2024, and Century Alu…