Missouri governor announces $15 billion Google data center in Montgomery County
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced Google's $15 billion data center investment in Montgomery County. This new project joins an existing Amazon data center, both facing significant community opposition. A lawsuit has been filed against county commissioners for alleged Sunshine Law violations concerning previous approvals and transparency regarding water usage.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced a $15 billion investment by Google into a new data center in Montgomery County, Missouri. This facility, planned for the New Florence area, will be the second data center under construction in the county, joining an existing Amazon Web Services project. Governor Kehoe lauded Google's investment as a testament to Missouri's technological growth, highlighting that Google will cover power and new infrastructure costs and use advanced air cooling to minimize water consumption.
However, these data center developments have sparked significant community backlash. Residents have expressed intense concerns, particularly regarding the Amazon Web Services project, for which Montgomery County commissioners approved tax abatements in what the article states was December 2025. Town halls held in what the article implies was the same month saw large crowds opposing the project. In February, a community group filed a lawsuit against the commissioners, alleging violations of the Missouri Sunshine Law. The lawsuit claims inadequate notice for meetings, a lack of transparency regarding the Amazon data center's water usage, and undisclosed information from closed-door sessions. The group seeks to halt the project until this information is released, with a hearing scheduled for June 1.