Active projects
• Beltline Energy (495 acres, P&Z denied)
• Provident Data Centers (613 acres, Gray Summit, P&Z approved)
Why this score?
Four weighted factors drive the Franklin County risk score.
Strong grid capacity. Major utility with transmission infrastructure capable of supporting hyperscale loads.
Major river or lake access. Evaporative cooling viable with standard permitting; high withdrawal capacity.
Moderate availability of large parcels. Some sites fit; assembly may be required for hyperscale.
Active data center project(s) in this county. Developers have already identified this area.
Water infrastructure
Any hyperscale data center in Franklin County would need a Missouri DNR permit for water withdrawal and discharge. The primary water source is Missouri River / Meramec River.
A single hyperscale data center using evaporative cooling can require 1–5 million gallons per day. Closed-loop and air-cooled designs reduce that draw at higher capital cost. Meta's Kansas City facility can use up to 9.5 million gallons daily — more than 95,000 average Missouri households.
Electric infrastructure
Grid capacity and transmission access are the single biggest driver of where hyperscale developers site projects. Franklin County is served by Ameren Missouri.
Under Missouri's SB 4, data centers above 75 MW must pay premium utility rates and fully fund grid upgrades. However, utilities like Ameren Missouri are building new gas-fired power plants specifically to serve data centers — infrastructure costs that can be passed on to residential ratepayers. Missouri's Data Center Sales Tax Exemption provides up to 15 years of tax relief on construction, equipment, and utilities.
Adjacent county activity
Hyperscale campuses cluster near existing transmission and water infrastructure. Activity in adjacent counties is the single best predictor of where a developer will look next.
Franklin itself has active data center projects. See the project details above.
State legislative context
Missouri's 2026 legislative session directly affects Franklin County, regardless of whether a project is currently proposed here.
HJR 173 & 174 proposes eliminating the state income tax and replacing it with expanded sales taxes on services — while data centers continue to receive a sales tax exemption. SB 4 requires data centers above 75 MW to pay premium utility rates, but developers negotiate Chapter 100 bonds that exempt them from property taxes entirely.
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. If Franklin County lacks zoning protections, residents should advocate for their adoption before a developer arrives.
Active data center development in Franklin County.
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