data centers

The city of Independence blocked residents from starting a petition that could force a citywide vote after city council approved more than $6 billion in tax breaks. Now opponents are suing to force the process to move forward.

A group of Independence residents opposed to a massive data center is gearing up to force a public vote on it. But the city argues approving their petition would violate its governing rules.

The city approved massive tax breaks because they say the money and protections city will receive make it a good deal. Opponents want to put the incentives on the ballot so residents can weigh in.

Independence City Council set to vote Monday night on AI data center tax incentives. Approval would mean the data center developer would pay a fraction of the taxes it would normally owe on buildings, land and equipment.

Cities are grappling with how to proceed concerning the increase in data centers in Missouri. New legislation would require water permits for large-load consumers, and make them pay for grid infrastructure upgrades needed to provide them electricity.

Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on our region’s growing energy demands even as rural populations shrink. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be a center for renewable energy production. But skepticism is bringing these projects to a halt.

The Republican Missouri senator introduced bipartisan legislation that would require data centers to build their own power plants and would increase transparency around data center energy use.

The hyperscale data center would go in eastern Independence, near schools and an ammunition plant. A growing number of residents are trying to stop city officials from providing any tax incentives to the company to keep it from being built.

The new plant will be on the site of the retired Rush Island coal plant in Jefferson County. It is being built, in part, to power proposed data centers.

Data centers used to fuel AI are popping up all over the U.S., and they're becoming a midterm issue for voters that's now drawing White House attention. Even Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has pushed for more regulation.

The Unified Government and the BPU are in discussions with three proposed data center projects code-named Project Red Wolf, Project Yardbird and Project Linda. Officials insist the projects won’t increase utility bills for other ratepayers, but similar promises elsewhere have been proven false.

The zoning change is the first regulation on where data centers can be built in the city. Advocates see it as the first step in limiting the AI data center boom.