Tennessee family seeks energy campus on 850 acres, sparking resident concerns

A proposed industrial campus in Bradley County, Tennessee, is putting economic development, energy demand and environmental protection on a collision course. The Wright family, owners of Wright Brothers Construction, wants to rezone and annex about 850 acres west of Interstate 75 and north of Old Lower River Road, close to the Hiwassee River. Called Project River, the development could include a power complex fuelled by natural gas and woody biomass, along with a large industrial customer such as a data center. No data center operator has signed a contract, but developers say that is the most likely use. As reported by WUTC’s Scenic Roots, the project is approaching its first planning commission and city council votes while residents continue asking questions about water, noise, traffic, emissions and the river’s future.A major proposal in a rural settingProject River would transform land that is currently zoned for farming and agricultural use. The site is privately owned by the Wright family and lies near the Hiwassee River, a waterway important to recreation, wildlife and the identity of the surrounding community.The proposed campus has been described as an $11.3 billion investm...