data centers

Across the country, data centers have attracted controversy for everything from overuse of utilities to tax breaks. Now, some Missourians are trying to track down those details through public records requests, appearances at public meetings and other grassroots efforts.

The announcement came hours before a Montgomery County anti-data center group released a survey that showed widespread opposition to a planned center there.

De Soto Mayor Rick Walker says revenue from a planned $3 billion data center campus is an opportunity to grow the city. But one resident is concerned that leaders are moving too fast and not weighing the negative impacts on the community and environment.

A new report from Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick says Missouri is facing a budget cliff. Gov. Mike Kehoe says he thinks the state’s budget needs to shrink as a result, and suggests some nonprofits or local municipalities could fund some programs instead.

Missourians from across the state gathered to protest outside of a data center summit in Jefferson City that was not open to the public.

Companies including Amazon and Google are building data centers in Missouri amid a boom in generative artificial intelligence. For residents in many communities, they aren't getting many answers from either the developers or the lawmakers approving the projects.

Panasonic opened its 4.7 million-square foot plant in Kansas in July, but has not reached full capacity after the Trump administration dropped support for green energy and electric vehicles. Now, the company is trying to capitalize on rising demand for data centers.

Data centers are on the fast track in communities across the Midwest and Great Plains, but rising concerns over water, energy and noise leave lawmakers rushing to catch up. Plus: Supporters and opponents are debating a proposed data center in southwest Kansas.

Massive data centers powering artificial intelligence have sprouted across the country in recent years, drawing opposition for their water consumption. But in rural Kansas, boosters of one project argue that it could represent a huge savings in water use compared to irrigated farming.

Development of large-scale data centers is booming across the Midwest and South. As some communities push back, local and state governments are trying to catch up on how to regulate the new development.

Supporters say the $15 billion project in Montgomery County, Missouri, will bring jobs and tax revenue. Some residents say no one asked them

Google will operate the second data center in the New Florence area, which already has an Amazon Web Services data center in the works.