Data centers a key issue for some voters looking at Missouri primary elections

Proposed data center developments across Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Louis Counties in Missouri have emerged as a defining issue for voters heading into the state's primary election. Community members and political candidates alike are raising significant concerns about the environmental impact, water usage, energy consumption, and the perceived lack of public input regarding these projects. The debate is influencing numerous races across the state.

In Franklin County, residents such as Twila Ashworth and Nancy Watson, who live near a proposed project south of Pacific, are demanding environmental impact studies and assert that data centers are unsuitable for residential or agricultural areas. They express particular worry about the local water supply, including the Meramec River and the aquifer. Another resident, Jeff Hayden, highlights that citizens feel unheard. Milly and Kevin Ryan, having previously opposed a data center project in Arizona, are now actively involved in opposing the "Crooked Creek" project in Franklin County, which they say is devastating to neighbors.

The issue is also central to state legislative races. Ann Moloney, a Republican candidate for the Missouri State House 114th District, which includes Festus, states that data centers are the top concern she hears from voters. She points to the April Festus city council election, where voters ousted four incumbents, as a clear indication of public sentiment. Moloney emphasizes concerns about well water depth and the potential for thousands of acres of natural land to be converted into an "environmental hazard." Jessie Shepherd, the Democratic opponent in the 114th District, also supports fighting data center projects, citing historical environmental damage from industrial sites in Jefferson County like the Doe Run lead smelter and a uranium fuel production facility. Shepherd plans to sponsor legislation for a statewide moratorium on new data center projects and advocate for regulations to prevent consumers from bearing infrastructure costs.

In North St. Louis County, Henry Iwenofu, a Democratic candidate for the 73rd District, opposes a proposed data center redevelopment in Ferguson. He raises concerns about water and resource consumption, the loss of farmland, and a lack of transparency in the approval process, likening potential long-term impacts to the Coldwater Creek contamination. Another candidate, Kennedy Moore, advocates for a maximum two-year moratorium to research impacts and implement regulations. A recent Morning Consult poll indicates that over 70% of registered voters desire "guardrails" on data center development, with 75% citing energy and water use, alongside opaque deal-making, as primary concerns.