Some say the mushroom-like proliferation of data centers across the country can’t be stopped. 

Those in favor of the giant support platforms for digital cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) cite the “economic development opportunities” the massive computer terminals could offer. Opponents are concerned about the unknown, potentially negative environmental impacts data centers could have. Arguments for both sides have merit.

On a whim, I drove to Marshfield last week to attend a meeting hosted by Webster County commissioners to provide the public with information about a planned data center there. I learned a lot: fundamentally, that there’s a lot I don’t know about the hungry giants.

The groupings of massive computer terminals can cover as many as 100 acres, gobble well over 30 megawatts of power (some sources say 100 megawatts) and guzzle an average of 300,000 gallons of water a day (some as much as 5 million gallons a day) from well and surface intakes. 

That’s a lot of water. The larger quantity is equivalent to the needs of a town with up to 50,000 residents, states the Brookings Institution (https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-data-centers-and-water/).

The several hundred residents who packed the auditorium at Marshfield High School didn’t show up to be pacified. They were angry that ground-clearing and construction was well underway on a five-acre site where a 7,000-square-foot data center was planned, with no prior notice given to residents.

Commissioners defended themselves by pointing out that residents had voted against Planning & Zoning ordinances three different times. Such laws, said one commissioner, might have prevented the construction of the data center.

An equally pressing concern was the data center’s future impact on air and water – including the possibility of lowered water pressure in neighboring wells – and whether the data center’s electricity usage would affect their utility bills.

Their concerns are valid. Concrete answers to some questions are elusive, because long-term effects are unknown.

Barry County residents should care.

Missouri has vast water resources and relatively cheap power — and most rural Missouri counties have no Planning & Zoning restrictions.

We’re ripe for data-center expansion, in other words.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Missouri has hosted data centers since the early 2000s, but large “hyperscale data centers” are new to the landscape (https://dnr.mo.gov/data-e-services/centers).

The DNR does not regulate data centers, specifically, but implements and enforces state statutes and other regulated activities that impact soil, air and water.

We’re wading into uncharted territory, with the Missouri legislature attempting to establish guardrails on one hand, while attempting to humor power companies on the other.

Last year, they approved legislation requiring data centers to pay for all of the electricity they consume, designed to ensure that everyday utility customers will not bear any of the cost (https://themissouritimes.com/missouri-continues-to-finalize-data-center-laws/).

How that will play out remains to be seen.

Earlier this year, Missouri legislation was introduced requiring data centers to follow a set of requirements on electricity and water usage. That bill received a public hearing in March, but appears to have foundered.

Water usage — for any purpose — is not currently regulated by the DNR, unless a user intends to export water beyond state lines or has the capability of pumping 100,000 gallons per day (approximately 70 gallons per minute). Such a person or entity is classified as a “Major Water User,” and is required to obtain a use-permit and file annual usage reports with the DNR.

In the 2024 Missouri legislative session, a bill was introduced that, if passed, would have shielded the identity and water usage of Major Water Users from the public eye. If this sounds shady, it just might be.

The water used by data centers is needed to cool their computer terminals. Some data centers (including the one planned for Marshfield) employ a closed-loop water-recirculation system – which uses much less water. 

Whether a company continuously pumps water from wells or uses a closed-loop system, diffused heat from the terminals will still need to be released into the ground or the air, potentially changing surrounding flora and wildlife habitats, said one Marshfield resident.

According to the DNR’s website, local communities and governments are typically aware of proposed data centers before the department becomes aware of them.

As of last Thursday, Barry County commissioners had no knowledge of any planned data centers in our county. However, there’s no requirement that private property owners would have to report such plans to the commission.

One Marshfield resident said that, while there are lots of downsides to having a data center in the community, there didn’t appear to be many community benefits. The construction crew, the 15 people the facility will employ, Webster Electric, and the gentleman who sold the property to Lumon Solutions appeared to be the only beneficiaries, he said.

Lumon Solutions countered that property tax and sales tax revenue (on electricity) will benefit the county.

We’re on the cusp of a changing landscape in southwest Missouri, I suspect. I don’t much like the idea, but I intend to adopt a watch-and-learn attitude.

However, if I were a rural resident enjoying the serenity of country living, I would be extremely unhappy to learn that a noisy, well-lit giant that operates 24/7 was going up next door.

We’re not talking about a farming operation, here. Ordinances might yet be passed on a county level if residents are concerned enough.

A hyperscale data center is currently in the planning stages by Geronimo Power for a rural Jasper County location. A public informational meeting about the proposed facility will be held in the Gene Taylor community building in Sarcoxie on May 28 at 6:30 p.m. Even if you don’t live in Jasper County, it might be worth your while to attend.

The giant’s next boot could land on your neighbor’s farm.

Sheila Harris is a long-time Barry County resident and a sales executive and investigative reporter for the Cassville Democrat with a particular interest in environmental topics. She may be reached at [email protected].