WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?Data-center field guide
Tennessee facility dossier · sources checked 2026-11-08

Project River — Bradley County, Tennessee

Wright Brothers Construction proposes an $11.3 billion, 850-acre campus anchored by an on-site power plant and a data center. The data center is not confirmed, and the land has been submitted for rezoning and annexation into Cleveland.

At a glance

Developer
Wright Brothers Construction, a family-owned business
Jurisdiction
Bradley County; annexation into the City of Cleveland requested
Land
About 850 acres west of Interstate 75 and north of Old Lower River Road NW
Power
1,500 MW on-site power plant; 360 MW of TVA backup and peak service requested
Investment
$11.3 billion
Status
Rezoning and annexation submitted; the electricity customer has not been chosen

What the sources establish

  • Wright Brothers Construction announced Project River, an $11.3 billion, 850-acre industrial campus described as anchored by an on-site power plant and data center. [1]
  • The site is west of Interstate 75 and north of Old Lower River Road NW, and the family has submitted it for rezoning and annexation into the City of Cleveland. [1]
  • CEO Mitchell Simpson said developers envision producing 1,500 MW on the property, with another 360 MW requested from TVA for backup and peak demand. [1]
  • Simpson said the customer for the electricity, which he called the offtaker, has not been chosen, and that the power could serve a data center or other uses such as advanced manufacturing. [1]
  • Simpson said a data center is likely but not certain, given how much power the plant would make. [1]
  • The Bradley County mayor said the county was not asked to approve or provide anything for the announcement and that the financial projections need to be verified. [1]
  • The announcement came days after residents packed a Cleveland Planning Commission meeting over a separate Wright Brothers proposal of nearly 400 acres. [1]

Conflicts. Location: a Center Square report, not opened here, places the project in Charleston, about 45 minutes east of Chattanooga. News 9 places it west of I-75 near Cleveland, and this page follows News 9. Status: a later Center Square report says the family asked Cleveland officials to delay action, and a tracker lists the project as suspended. Neither was checked in the source read here.

Timeline

  1. Week before Aug. 26, 2026 — Residents pack a Cleveland Planning Commission meeting on a separate Wright Brothers proposal (News 9).
  2. Aug. 26, 2026 — Wright Brothers announces Project River (News 9).

What this page does not establish

  • Whether the power plant is built before a data center customer is confirmed.
  • Fuel and gas-pipeline supply for the plant.
  • The water source for cooling, which News 9 raises as a question.
  • Whether Cleveland approves the annexation and rezoning.
  • TVA review of the 360 MW request.

What to check next

  1. Cleveland Planning Commission and City Council agendas for the annexation and rezoning.
  2. Bradley County zoning records. The mayor says the county adopted new safeguards in spring 2026.
  3. TVA load-study records for the 360 MW request.
  4. Air or water permits for the on-site generation, if filed.