Missouri Data Center Intel

Recent Missouri data center news

• Apr 16, 2026

  Data Center Protests Are Growing. How Should the Industry Respond?

  Data Center Watch reports community opposition has halted and delayed numerous U.S. data center projects.

  • Main findings: Data Center Watch says $18 billion in projects have been halted and $46 billiondelayed over the past two years; the group has identified at least 142 activist groups across 24 states blocking or opposing data center construction. Key affected projects and values are cited throughout the article (examples listed below).
  • Context and examples: The article is a reporting/summary of recent project cancellations, postponements, and opposition rather than a new project announcement. Examples include Tract (two Arizona projects, $14 billion withdrawn), QTS & Compass (Prince William, VA, $24.7 billion, 2.4 GW, legal challenges), and Amazon proposals ($6 billion in King George, VA and other contested sites). The piece compiles project statuses, industry commentary, and technical/community concerns (power, water, health, jobs).
• Apr 15, 2026

  Data Center Boom Meets Resistance in Maine: Lawmakers Pass a Yearlong Freeze

  The Maine Legislature approved sending a bill to Gov. Janet Mills that would impose a statewide moratorium on large data centers and create a special council to help towns vet potential projects.

  • Main action:Maine Legislature sent a bill to Gov. Janet Mills to institute a moratorium of more than a year on data centers above a certain size and to create a special council to assist municipalities in vetting projects; the bill was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs and the governor had not responded publicly to whether she will sign it.
  • Background and details: The move follows intense community backlash and is part of broader activity in at least a dozen states where similar proposals have been introduced; related developments include an Ohio ballot effort that must gather more than 400,000 signatures by July 1 to attempt a statewide ban, failed or stalled bills in states such as Georgia and South Dakota, and commentary from stakeholders including the Data Center Coalition, Maine Broadband Coalition, GrowSmart Maine, and the Maine Policy Institute.
• Apr 14, 2026

  Data centers are moving inland, away from some traditional locations

  Synergy Research Group and Sightline Climate reported a geographic shift and widescale delays in U.S. data center construction.

  • Main announcement:Synergy Research Group finds the planning and build “center of gravity” for data centers is moving inland to Texas and Midwestern states (Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri). Sightline Climate reports 16 GW of data centers slated to open in the U.S. this year but only 5 GW are under construction now and expects 30–50% of projects to be delayed; 25 GW are announced for 2027 with only 6 GW under construction.
  • Background and details: Delays are driven by component shortages (memory, storage, batteries, electrical transformers, circuit breakers) and local opposition (e.g., the Seminole Nation banning data centers on tribal lands). Major cloud and AI firms named as project sponsors include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and CoreWeave. The article also references Pennsylvania’s $70 billion push for data centers and notes many 2028–2032 projects have not broken ground.
• Apr 14, 2026

  AI boom derails clean-air efforts in heavily polluted cities

  The Trump administration has rolled back federal soot standards and taken actions to keep coal plants online to support AI-driven data center power demand.

  • Main action: In February the Trump administration scrapped Biden-era soot standards that were due to take effect in 2027 and issued an executive order (“Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry”), provided funding to keep coal plants running, delayed plant retirements, and rolled back rules on mercury and other toxins to support AI-driven electricity demand (DOE projects 50 gigawatts of new demand by 2030).
  • Background and specifics: The article cites the Labadie Energy Center (owned by Ameren Corp) as a major emitter; Reuters estimates the plant’s pollution drives an economic burden up to $5.5 billion per year, with about $820 million borne by St. Louis area residents. Biden-era soot limits would have required Labadie to cut soot emissions by more than half and delivered net public health benefits up to $3 billion by 2037; Ameren says Labadie will run for at least another decade to ensure reliability.
• Apr 14, 2026

  BIG READ | Power-hungry US data centres imperil residents and environment

  The Trump administration has rolled back Biden-era soot standards and other pollution rules to keep coal plants online to meet rising electricity demand from AI data centres.

  • Main action (policy rollback): In February 2026 the Trump administration scrapped tougher federal soot standards (rules adopted in 2024 that were due to take effect in 2027) and issued an executive order titled “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry”, provided funding to keep old plants running, and ordered delays to retirements and rollbacks of regulations on mercury and other toxins to support coal-fired baseload power. The EPA said ensuring affordable baseload power, including coal, is essential for reliability.
  • Background and concrete details:DOE projects 50GW of new electricity demand by 2030 from AI and data centre growth; utilities have acted (Ameren says it has signed service contracts for 2.3GW of potential peak demand from data centres). The Labadie Energy Center will remain operating for at least another decade per Ameren. EPA CO-BENEFITS (Coba) analysis estimates up to $5.5bn annual economic burden from Labadie’s pollution (about $820m borne by St Louis residents); an EPA 2023 cost-benefit analysis estimated Biden-era soot limits would yield up to $3bn in net public health benefits by 2037. Retirement pace has slowed (in 2025 only 4 plants producing 2.6GW retired vs 94 plants producing 15GW in 2015).
• Apr 13, 2026

  Hyperscale Growth Shifts Inland as AI Drives Power Demand

  Synergy Research Group reports US hyperscale data center expansion is shifting inland as AI-driven power needs prioritize Texas and the Midwest.

  • Shift details: Synergy finds Texas and the Midwest currently account for about one-third of US hyperscale capacity but are expected to capture more than half of new development; there were 580 operational US hyperscale data centers (end of 2025) and 437 additional US data centers in the pipeline (out of 803 planned globally), with the average capacity of new data centers over the next three years almost double that of currently operational facilities.
  • Context and drivers:Power availability has become the dominant site-selection criterion, alongside land, network access, incentives, and permitting; Texas is identified as the most active market, Northern Virginia remains the largest cluster (but not the primary expansion focus), and Midwestern states named include Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri; market concentration remains high with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google holding 58% of global capacity.
• Apr 12, 2026

  How the AI boom derailed clean‑air efforts in one of US’s most polluted cities

  The Trump administration scrapped tougher federal soot standards scheduled to take effect in 2027, reversing Biden-era rules to accommodate surging electricity demand from AI data centres.

  • Main action: The administration rescinded 2024-adopted soot limits (due in 2027) and has issued orders and funding to keep coal plants operating to meet data-centre driven electricity demand; the US Department of Energy estimates 50 gigawatts of new demand by 2030. Ameren said it has signed service contracts for 2.3 gigawatts of potential peak demand from data centres; a proposed 1,000-acre AWS data-centre development in Montgomery County would be powered by Ameren.
  • Background & details: Reuters analysis cites the Labadie Energy Center as a major polluter with an estimated annual economic burden up to US$5.5 billion, about US$820 million borne by St. Louis area residents; EPA estimated Biden-era soot limits would yield up to US$3 billion in net public health benefits by 2037. Activist groups, local utilities, EPA, DOE, and the Data Center Coalition are all cited in the reporting.
• Apr 11, 2026

  AI Data Centers Air Pollution Deaths: How Tech Boom is Killing Clean Air in US

  The Trump administration announced it rolled back federal soot standards in February 2026, citing surging electricity demand from AI data centers.

  • Main action: The administration reversed Biden-era soot protections and the President invoked emergency wartime powers to compel utilities to keep aging coal-fired power plants operating; the rollback was explicitly justified by surging electricity demand from AI data centers. Key figures: 4,000 data centers operational, 3,000 planned or under construction, and AI data center electricity share rising from 2% (2018) to 4.4% (2023) with projections of 6.7%–12% by 2028 and potential 11x increase by 2030 if unchecked.
  • Background and details:University of California, Riverside researchers project up to 1,300 premature deaths annually by 2030 tied to particulate pollution from extended fossil-fuel plant operation; Harvard University provided data-center counts; regional specifics include AI centers using 26% of Virginia’s electricity, proposed Nevada data centers requiring three times current Las Vegas electricity, and 70+ data centers in Los Angeles County where supervisors are considering a moratorium and a health impact assessment. Also noted: Clean Wisconsin projections and more than 60 Virginia state bills addressing data center growth and grid impact.
• Apr 11, 2026

  How AI boom derailed clean‑air efforts in one of America's most polluted cities

  President Donald Trump’s administration scrapped Biden-era soot standards scheduled for 2027 and issued an executive order supporting coal power to meet rising electricity demand from AI data centers.

  • Main action: The Trump administration rescinded tougher soot limits (adopted in 2024, due to take effect in 2027), issued the executive order “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” provided funding to keep coal plants running, delayed retirements, and rolled back regulations on mercury and other toxins; the article is a Reuters news report based on interviews and EPA/DOE data. Key timelines and figures: standards adopted 2024 → effective 2027 (scrapped in February 2026); DOE estimate: 50 GW new demand by 2030; Labadie plant to run for at least another decade.
  • Background and details: Reuters interviewed activists and reviewed EPA/COBRA and EIA data finding an estimated $5.5 billion annual economic burden from Labadie-area pollution (about $820 million borne by St. Louis residents); Ameren has signed service contracts for 2.3 GW of potential peak data-center demand and Amazon Web Services has proposed a 1,000-acre data-center development to be powered by Ameren. The story combines on-the-ground reporting, data analysis (COBRA/EPA), and expert commentaries.
• Apr 10, 2026

  Anchorage Blocks New Data Centers in ‘Residential Zones’

  The Anchorage Assembly (city government) passed a new city ordinance defining data center land use and review requirements.

  • Ordinance passed 10-2: The ordinance bans new data centers in residential zones, limits data centers to commercial and industrial zoned districts, and requires a public review process plus input from local utilities before approval. It also requires disclosure of water and energy capacity and other environmental impact information.
  • Context and background: Anchorage’s action is framed as a proactive response to an anticipated surge in data center construction due to Alaska’s cooler climate; the article references a whitepaper by The Alaska Center urging clear disclosure of water draws, cites a Davis Wright Tremaine note that Anchorage currently has one colocation data center, and notes parallel anti-data-center actions in other U.S. communities (Festus, MO; Port Washington, WI).