Mississippi River towns prepare for surge in data centers
Mississippi River mayors are coordinating to help communities assess the rapid growth of data center proposals. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative released new resources addressing project benefits, public costs, water use and utility impacts.
Mayors from communities along the Mississippi River are working together as data center developers increasingly approach towns across the basin. At a meeting in Natchez, Mississippi, Blytheville, Arkansas, Mayor Melisa Logan said more than 75% of Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative member cities had been approached about hosting AI infrastructure.
The initiative released a data center "Wishlist" developed with the Sierra Club and a fiscal evaluation framework originally created by the Future Caucus of the Missouri House of Representatives. The materials are intended to help local officials assess community benefits, public cost protections, water demands and utility impacts before deciding how to respond to proposals. Alton, Illinois, Mayor David Goins and Missouri state Rep. Colin Wellenkamp urged communities to evaluate projects carefully and ask detailed questions.