Trent Ford Announces First Three District 7 Information Sessions on Data Centers and AI
Ford will present at events where he walks through the three kinds of data centers, how they affect rural communities, and what Alabama can do at the state level.
From the Ford campaign
Trinity, Alabama – Yellowhammer Independent candidate for Alabama State House District 7, Trent Ford, today announced the first three information sessions on data centers and AI for voters of District 7 (Lawrence, Morgan, and Colbert counties). Improperly regulated data centers can move into towns, especially in rural areas, and create problems and undue hardship for communities.
The public is invited to attend. Each session will include time for questions. The first three sessions are:
- Friday, September 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m. — First Missionary Baptist Church of Courtland, 3064 Jefferson Street, Courtland, AL 35618
- Thursday, October 1, 2026, 6:30 p.m. — Freeman Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2871 Byler Road, Moulton, AL 35650
- Monday, October 5, 2026, 6:30 p.m. — Leighton Civic Center (Leighton Public Library), 8740 Main Street, Leighton, AL 35646
At each session, Ford will start with the basics for anyone new to the data center topic. He does this to ensure each community will have a grounding in what is going on. He will cover the three types of data centers and what they do. There are web data centers (sometimes called general use data centers), AI and hyperscale AI data centers, and then cryptocurrency mines. He will cover the impact each type can have on an area. Ford will also cover what the state legislature can actually do about this issue. Sessions will include some time for questions.
Ford stands by his previous stance that the state should have a moratorium on building data centers until proper safeguards can be put into place during the next legislative session. He said he is not taking an anti-development stance, he just believes that developments should benefit Alabamians. He wants any large load facilities (like data centers) to pay their own way, tell neighbors what they are doing, meet some minimum statewide standards, and have a process for communities to get a say where zoning standards do not currently exist.
"I'm not a teetotaler on most things, but on data centers, I think we're doing it wrong. A big problem is the misunderstanding of what is hype, real, or propaganda. Many people don't know that there are actually three different kinds of data centers. I want protections that help regular people and are not in favor of these massive corporations, and for people to be able to make informed decisions about their communities,” Ford said.
Trent Ford is a software engineer and web developer running his own small business. He announced his campaign for Alabama House District 7 in November 2025 as an Independent with the Yellowhammer Party, choosing to run outside the two-party system because he believes Alabamians deserve representation focused on real solutions rather than partisan games. He is the Yellowhammer Independent candidate for Alabama State House District 7 in the November 3, 2026 general election.
For more information: https://votefortrentford.com
