Sunday, May 3, 2026
Missouri Data Centers.
Est. 2026 · Independent
Tracking every proposed hyperscale data center across Missouri's 114 counties and St. Louis City.
Take Action Now
Sign the Petition: Stop the Marshfield Data Center in Webster County
15
Active projects statewide
While your Governor pushes a sales tax expansion on Missouri citizens through HJR 173 & 174, data centers get a sales tax exemption. You get the bill. They get the break. Send a $9 opposition letter →
Breaking — May 2, 2026
About 50 residents rally at Joplin City Hall calling for a statewide data center moratorium. In Nodaway County, residents say they were "left in the dark" about a proposed $4 billion ReLoad data center. Read the full story →
The Story So Far

They're building data centers across Missouri. Most residents don't know.

In Festus, city officials held secret meetings with developer CRG and described data center opponents as “a sideshow of uneducated people” in text messages. In Independence, the city council approved $150.6 billion in bonds for a Dutch AI company, then a court blocked residents from putting it to a public vote. In Webster County, the county commissioners didn’t even know about a proposed data center until they saw it on Facebook — because the county has no planning and zoning laws. In Joplin, 600 acres of residential land were rezoned to heavy industrial after a seven-hour council meeting. While your Governor pushes a sales tax expansion on you through HJR 173 & 174, data centers get a sales tax exemption. The pattern is consistent: NDAs, secret meetings, and zoning votes that move faster than residents can organize.

By the editors · Updated May 3, 2026 Sources cited
15projects
Active data center projects across 9 Missouri counties
$25B+
In announced investment from Google, Meta, Nebius, AWS, CRG, and others
~300
Total permanent jobs promised across all 15 projects combined
2+lawsuits
Filed by residents in Festus and Independence against their own cities
Statewide Risk Map

How risky is your county?

All 115 Missouri counties, shaded by data center development risk. The darker the county, the more structurally attractive it is to hyperscale developers — based on power availability, water capacity, land availability, and proximity to existing projects.

The nine marked counties have active, approved, or recently-withdrawn projects. Click any county to see its risk score and read the full report.

Risk Tier
Very High
High
Moderate
Low
Active Projects
Approved
Vote Delayed
Proposed
Withdrawn
Loading county data…
What You Can Do Right Now

We send an opposition letter to your commissioners for you.

Festus voters ousted every council member who approved a $6B data center. In Nodaway County, residents formed opposition groups in weeks. Written opposition works.

Enter your address and pick your concerns. We research your commissioners, write a personalized letter citing state statutes and project data, and email it to every commissioner on your behalf.

Take Action Now → 47 letters sent
60 seconds. Letter sent within 24 hours.
Sample Letter Preview
To: Commissioner Dale Fraker, Commissioner Paul Ipock, Commissioner Randy Owens
From: Jane Smith via Missouri Data Centers
Subject: Opposition to Proposed Data Center — Webster County

Dear Commissioners,

My name is Jane Smith and I reside at 1847 Elm Street, Marshfield, MO 65706 — within 2 miles of the proposed data center site on Rifle Range Road, north of Marshfield.

I am writing to formally oppose this development. My concerns include the impact on residential property values, groundwater supply, and noise from industrial cooling systems operating 24/7.

Webster County has no planning and zoning laws, which means this project faces no public hearing requirement. Under Missouri’s HJR 173 & 174, the state legislature is expanding sales taxes on citizens while granting data centers a sales tax exemption. Under SB 4, data centers above 75 MW must pay premium utility rates, but developers routinely negotiate Chapter 100 bonds that exempt them from property taxes entirely...

See full letter →
Deeper Analysis

Want your county's full risk report?

The map above shows the tier. The full report shows the breakdown: power availability, water capacity, land availability, and current exposure to known projects — each scored and explained in plain English for your specific county.

Find your county's full report →
How counties score
Power availability 30
Current exposure 40
Water capacity 15
Land availability 15
Resident Guides

If you live near a proposed Missouri data center.

Updated May 2026
Water Usage

Meta's 9.5M gallons/day in KC, Missouri DNR water permits, Ozark aquifer impact.

Read the brief →
Your Electric Bill

Ameren's new gas plants for data centers, SB 4 premium rates, Evergy large-load tariffs.

Read the brief →
Noise & Decibels

Cooling-tower hum, diesel generator testing, rural counties with zero noise ordinances.

Read the brief →
Property Values

Property impact studies from Virginia, Festus homeowner concerns, rural farmland devaluation.

Read the brief →
Near My Home?

Find the active project nearest you. 9 counties with confirmed projects across Missouri.

Read the brief →
Health Risks

Diesel backup generators, new gas power plants, air quality near hyperscale cooling systems.

Read the brief →
Missouri Legislation

They get tax exemptions. You get a sales tax expansion.

Missouri’s legislature has created a two-tier system: data center developers receive billions in tax breaks while the state pushes to expand sales taxes on everyday residents. HJR 173 & 174 passed both chambers in April 2026 and proposes eliminating the state income tax — which funds two-thirds of Missouri’s general revenue — and replacing it with expanded sales taxes on services. According to the Missouri Budget Project, 80% of Missourians would see a net tax increase under the scheme. Meanwhile, data centers continue to receive a sales tax exemption on construction materials, equipment, and utilities for up to 15 years.

At the local level, developers negotiate Chapter 100 industrial revenue bonds that exempt them from real and personal property taxes entirely. In Independence, Nebius received $150.6 billion in bonds with no property tax obligations. Many rural Missouri counties — including Webster County — have no planning and zoning laws, meaning a data center can be proposed with no public hearing, no zoning review, and no county oversight.

HJR 173/174
Passed both chambers April 2026. Proposes eliminating state income tax, replacing with expanded sales tax on services. Data centers continue to receive sales tax exemption. 80% of Missourians face a net tax increase. Goes to voters November 2026.
Chapter 100
Industrial revenue bonds that exempt data centers from real and personal property taxes. Used by Nebius (Independence), Google (Clay County), Metrobloks (Liberty), and others. City holds title; developer makes PILOT payments instead of taxes.
SB 4
Signed by Gov. Kehoe. Requires data centers above 75 MW to pay premium utility rates and fund grid upgrades. No rate discounts or incentives for large-load customers. Minimum 12-year contracts with early termination fees.
Sales Tax Exemption
Missouri’s Data Center Sales Tax Exemption program: up to 15 years of relief on construction materials, equipment, and utilities. Requires $25M investment and 10 jobs at 150% of county average wage within 3 years.
By County

Every known data center proposal in Missouri.

Updated May 2026
Clay County
Kansas City Metro · Pop. 253K
Ground zero for Missouri data centers. Home to Google's Project Mica (500 acres, $10B bonds, under construction), Meta's $1B campus (operational since Aug 2025, uses up to 9.5M gallons water/day), and Metrobloks' $1.4B Liberty campus (30 permanent jobs). Meta received an $8B+ incentive package over 37 years.
Full Clay coverage →
Google Data Center Campus (Project Mica)
Under Construction
500 acres · 700 MW · 1.56M sq ft across 5 buildings · $10 billion in authorized bonds · 25-year property tax break · powered by Evergy via Nashua Power Station.
Meta Data Center (Kansas City Northland)
Operational
1.4M sq ft · $1 billion · 100 permanent jobs · uses up to 9.5M gallons water/day · $8B+ incentive package over 37 years · LEED Gold certified.
Metrobloks Liberty Campus
Proposed March 2026
568,800 sq ft · $1.4 billion · 3 buildings on 29 acres · 30 permanent jobs at avg $95,649/year · AI-ready high-density campus.
Jackson County
Kansas City Metro · Pop. 717K
Independence approved $150.6 billion in bonds for Dutch AI company Nebius in March 2026. A court rejected residents' lawsuit to put it to a public vote. A new gas power plant is being built at the retired Blue Valley site to power the campus. Residents organized fierce opposition but were overruled.
Full Jackson coverage →
Nebius AI Factory (Independence / Eastgate Commerce Center)
Approved March 2, 2026
2.5M sq ft · 800 MW (scalable to 1.1 GW) · up to 10 buildings on 398 acres · Chapter 100 bonds · no real/personal property taxes · court blocked public vote.
Jefferson County
St. Louis Metro · Pop. 226K
Wake Up JeffCo LLC filed a 12-count, 54-page lawsuit against the city of Festus and developer CRG after officials held secret meetings and described opponents as “a sideshow of uneducated people.” All 4 incumbent council members were ousted by anti-data-center candidates in April 2026. Mayor recall petition underway.
Full Jefferson coverage →
CRG Festus Data Center (Clayco / CRG)
Legal Challenge — Lawsuit Filed
$6 billion · 360+ acres · rezoned 6-2 Nov 2025 · 54-page lawsuit alleging Sunshine Law violations · all 4 incumbents ousted · developer says project is “still on.”
Montgomery County
Central Missouri · Pop. 11K
Two hyperscale projects targeting the same rural area near New Florence. Google's Project Spade (934 acres) and AWS's Project Green (1,000 acres, up to 21 buildings). A town hall drew several hundred residents and “significant anger.” Combined, nearly 2,000 acres of farmland.
Full Montgomery coverage →
Google Data Center (Project Spade)
Proposed — Confirmed Jan 2026
934 acres · two 800,000 sq ft buildings · I-70 and Highway 19 interchange · closed-loop air-cooled system.
Amazon Web Services (Project Green)
Proposed
1,000 acres · up to 21 buildings in 2 phases · will build own water/wastewater plant · est. $1.5B+ in local tax revenue over 25 years.
Jasper County
Southwest Missouri · Pop. 123K
Local developer Jimmer Pinjuv proposed annexing Wildwood Ranch for a data center. 540 acres annexed, 600 acres rezoned from R-1 residential to M-2 heavy industrial in a single vote after a 7-hour council meeting. A second data center by Geronimo targets unincorporated county land with no zoning laws. May Day protest May 1, 2026.
Full Jasper coverage →
Wildwood Ranch / Joplin Data Center
Rezoned Feb 2026
600 acres rezoned R-1 → M-2 heavy industrial · P&Z approved 6-1 · 7-hour council meeting · ~50 residents protested at City Hall May 1, 2026.
Webster County
South-central Missouri · Pop. 40K
A rumored data center on Rifle Range Road north of Marshfield, next to a power substation, has residents alarmed. The land is owned by ARY Investments, LLC. Webster County has no planning and zoning — the county commission has no jurisdiction over land use. Commissioners didn't know about the project until they saw it on Facebook.
Full Webster coverage →
Marshfield Area Data Center (Rifle Range Road)
Rumored — April 2026
Developer: ARY Investments, LLC · next to power substation · no county zoning laws · commissioners learned from Facebook · Change.org petition active.
Nodaway County
Northwest Missouri · Pop. 22K
Chicago-based ReLoad met with county commissioners in December 2025 about a $4 billion gigawatt-scale data center. Few details have been made public. Residents formed a community group that connected with the “No MO Dirty Data Centers” network. May 1, 2026 rally drew opposition.
Full Nodaway coverage →
ReLoad Data Center (Southern Nodaway County)
Proposed Dec 2025
$4 billion · multiple 1M+ sq ft buildings · gigawatt-scale · residents learned through word of mouth, not officials.
Franklin County
East-central Missouri · Pop. 105K
Two data center proposals targeting farmland. Beltline Energy (Atlanta) sought to rezone 495 acres near Pacific — P&Z voted 4-5 to recommend denial. Pacific's mayor, who supported data centers, lost re-election. Provident Data Centers (Texas) targets 613 acres near Gray Summit — P&Z recommended approval with split vote. Pacific ROOT Coalition has retained lawyers.
Full Franklin coverage →
Beltline Energy Data Center (Pacific / Crooked Creek)
P&Z Recommended Denial
495 acres farmland · P&Z voted 4-5 against · Pacific ROOT Coalition opposes · Pacific mayor lost re-election over data center support.
Provident Data Centers (Gray Summit)
P&Z Recommended Approval (Split Vote)
613 acres · 13 buildings · multibillion-dollar · est. $50M+/year in tax revenue · largest economic development project in county history if approved.
St. Louis City
Independent City · Pop. 293K
The Armory Innovation Data Center received conditional use permit approval on April 21, 2026 via a virtual, last-second vote by the Board of Public Service. Hours of public opposition preceded the vote. Developers include Contour, TeraWatt, THO Investments, and others. Expected to generate $432M in tax revenue over 10 years.
Full St. Louis coverage →
Armory Innovation Data Center (Midtown St. Louis)
Approved April 21, 2026
120 MW · $1.5 billion · ~500,000 sq ft · virtual vote with hours of opposition · $432M projected tax revenue over 10 years · $15M community benefits agreement.
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