Lebanon weighing data center proposal
Lebanon is considering an unsolicited proposal for a 10- to 15-acre, air-cooled data center within the city, though the project remains in its earliest stages and no developer has been identified. City Administrator Troy Schulte said the facility could provide a large industrial electricity customer and tax revenue, while the city will study grid capacity and keep residents involved amid broader opposition to data centers.
The City of Lebanon has received an unsolicited inquiry about developing a 10- to 15-acre data center on either city-owned or privately owned property. City Administrator Troy Schulte said the proposal is preliminary and could still fall apart, with a potential six-month construction-to-operation timeline if it advances. The unidentified developer is not Meta or Google, and the facility would be air-cooled rather than a large hyperscale campus, limiting expected water use.
Schulte said the project could benefit Lebanon by adding a major industrial electricity customer, property-tax revenue and fewer demands on local schools, although it would create relatively few jobs. The city will conduct a load study with wholesale supplier Show-Me Power to determine whether transformers or a substation would need upgrades, with the developer expected to cover infrastructure costs. Lebanon currently has no data-center-specific ordinances, but its light-industrial zoning could allow such a facility with separation from residences; officials plan to involve the public and establish rules if the proposal moves forward.