$15 Billion one with Google flag name going in just west of St. Louis in rural Montgomery County, MO. Lots of municipality and counties fighting them tooth and nail. What about your area?

The original draft of the Big Beautiful Bill had a provision in it that had a 10 year regulation block allowing these data centers to circumvent any federal, state, or local planning and zoning ordinances. Thankfully there were a few congressmen that got it removed before passing. Otherwise a lot of towns would have been run over by developers.

They may create jobs for the construction phase, but once they are complete they will mostly be run by computers.

ol' dad

Here in Sask our provincial government pushed one through. There was lots of local pushback and local government council members resigned due to ethical concerns over the land agreement. The government then just appointed local councilors that don't live there and pushed it through with a unanimous decision.

Generally........data centers started popping up in the US in the 1990's..........they supply fast computing to businesses, allow apps on your phone to work, and provide electric power to critical infrastructure like hospitals in times of emergencies.

The push back against them today is being funded by the same left wing organizations that have tried to terrorize and brainwash people about climate catastrophe since Al Gore. In fact, Gore's horror movie was initially supported by the same gang of lefties. The crux of the issue is that these groups are still opposed to fossil fuels.

Look for names such as Eric Schmidt, 11th Hour Project, Arabella Advisors, Bill Gates, Sunflower Services. Bernie Sanders & Our Revolution, Greenpeace USA, Friends of the Earth.......they are all behind the opposition to data centers.


It's just my opinion but I think data centers are a good thing in the long run even if the usual suspects are supporting them.

It is rather delicious irony that the same tech big wigs that tried to scare people into socialism via climate change are now experiencing pushback against data centers for Silicon Valley technology.

They are between a rock and a hard place. Don't let them confuse you.

I’ve got a friend who is up to his eyeballs in that Montgomery County fight.
County commission there tried to slide it through without communicating with county residents.
Apparently they use a ton of power and water.

So, why are people against them in your area??

Data Centers are a must for Businesses to run efficient, we need for National Security, and for economical growth in our country.

No one wants oil rigs on their land but were would you get gas to run your car. Change is hard but to sustain and be competitive and have a country with growth we need them.

They do use a lot of power but many of the centers that have been proposed are also providing their own power through stand alone generating facilities on the same site. That MIGHT reduce power costs to the general population in the area.
As to water use......the total usage of water for proposed data centers is calculated at 0.2 % of total water usage in the country.

Golf courses in the US consume 4.2 % of national water usage.

If people want cellphones and internet to work they have to let it happen.

one of our senators is pushing for data centers paying for 100% of the cost of utility upgrades they require. So like... when they double the power usage the cost of increasing power generation doesn't fall on everyone equally, it goes to the data center that requires it.

That makes sense to me. I strongly support that.

Other than making sure they don't offload their costs onto everyone else, I don't understand the backlash. Its like people are looking for a reason to rant and data centers drew the short straw.

I think the biggest gripe is that local governments are ignoring the wishes of the people. The data centers are largely gov. subsidized via tax exemptions, abatement's, or credits, but will employ few people, relative to their economic size. They will also use a large supply of resources.

I guess the question is, is it for the good of the public?

ol' dad

Would you rather the data centers be in China?

BTW the almond industry is far worse than data centers as far as water usage

If they want this >>>Data Centers are a must for Businesses to run efficient, we need for National Security, and for economical growth in our country.
If most of these changes the public aren't educated enough on the subjects. Yep no one wants change but we all want the benefits.

I don't think that is the question.

This is going to happen whether we like it or not.
The question is....or should be IMO........

Do we want MSFT, GOOG, SPCX, META, AMZN. NVDA, PLTR, ANTHO.........etc to be the ones that build and operate it or do we want BIDU, Huawei, Deep Seek......etc to do it ?

As public awareness is growing on costs, tax / fee burdens, and resources, public support is dropping like a rock.

Here is some insight to states imposing bans/restrictions

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-data-center-restrictions-us-states/

it seems clear that many councils are getting paid off

the power concern is real it will take many 100s of houses worth of power to supply these data centers and it will mainly go up as waste heat.

to put it simply every power saving appliance , every CFL or LED lightbulb in the last 40 years power savings will be eaten by data centers in a year or two.

We don't even have the infrastructure for electric cars....that's been my questioning on this. I've been told by a few We Energies guys that is will take 15-20 years to build the structure that is need for less than what is projected needs

They want to put a data center in my rural county. People are fighting it hard. The main concern appears to be that they will draw tremendous amounts of groundwater for cooling and that releasing that water will destroy Cedar Bog, which is actually a fen, that has cold water environment, dependent plants and animals that are endangered in Ohio.

The amount of anger directed at the potential data center has surprised me. A bunch of older white women actually sound like they would attack it from their posts. I suspect they are karens.

Keith

when a bunch of liberals are like , we need to open and make new nuclear power plants after railing on them and trying to shut them down for the last 40 years , you should be taking a step back and asking what changed , what is your motive and why are you selling out Everything you have preached for the last 40+ years.

I haven't formed an opinion one way or another yet. I'm interested in what other folks opinions are and why.

ol' dad

They do their homework and they play dirty. I’m a 7th generation farmer. I had ground taken from me through eminent domain for a new water treatment facility…… that water treatment facility ended up being created solely to cool googles computers at their already 2 current and expanding facilities. Now, conveniently 20 years later, they want a bunch of my land for AI centers. Apparently it’s an attractive thing when you have land next to big water and big power. They offered my dad six figures an acre for 120 acres, he told them to pound sand and then he died of cancer. I’m 7th generation on this land and I’ve made it clear there’s no amount of money that intrigues me. They too can pound sand as far as I’m concerned. In the end, they’ll find loopholes holes, pay off the city or govt and ultimately take it through eminent domain, but as God as my witness, it’ll never be because I sell anyone a thing. You can have whatever opinions on Data centers you want, but until you have one threatening your way of life for 7 generations, you’ll never understand.

A lot of that comes from which set of facts you listen to. The facts from those pulling permits to build, reality, or the embellished that float the internet. If mining operations can recycle their water, why can't data centers? If the draw of electricity exceeds the infrastructure, who's actually paying for it to be rebuilt? I'm not a HVAC engineer, but holy moly is there a lot of RTU's going up

Got a big one south of the city here and now another going in north of the drying up Great Salt lake !!

People up in arms about both the older one hardly heard a thing about, the newer one is going through like a slow train
but keeps on moving, every new notice about it gets a new barrage of protesters, but usually gets through that with little effort.

Going to have them regards of what people say, it's the future you know, along with the new release of 90 year old data about UFO's

Government is and always has been for it's self, the rest of us limp around the best we can do !!

They are building a data center 6 miles north of me. They bought up 800 acres of land including a farm I owned. There was a farm next to all the land they bought. The data center then decided to put in their own power plant. They wanted to buy the farm next to it but the woman said that she would never sell her farm. They wanted to next thing ya know, she sold her 79 acres for$7,900,000.00

Here the data centers are promoting the number of jobs that they will create in the local community. Realize that these jobs are temporary only during the construction phase. After being built, few people are required to maintain an autonomous running facility. The local governments have few regulations currently in place for facilities as large as the ones being proposed, allowing these facilities pretty much free rein in what they can do and build without much oversight. Arrangements and the process are not being fully disclosed between the companies and local governments and utilities, being described as discussions only.



Citizen concerns are, who will be paying for the cost of energy and water utilities. Utility companies are already asking to increase rates in anticipation of facility upgrade expenses. Why should the citizens bear the increase costs for facilities upgrades and subsidize the cost of operating energy and water for a facility the citizens do not want. It's not only local people objecting, why should people have to support data center operations though increased utilities' costs that are hundreds of miles distant from these data centers? In addition to farm lands that data centers will be sitting on being taken out of production, local tax breaks are being given to the facilities owners. These facilities are being built to support the expansion of AI, which while providing limited benefits to individuals; primarily benefit the commercial and surveillance operations of the large technology companies. And let's not forget the government is using the data to survey on the citizenry also.

There are feeling of 'Skynet' being driven down the throats of the people without their input and the fear that with the overall increase in economist inflation this will be one more cost the that data centers will not be fully supporting. People only want data center operators to pay for the full costs of the facilities, utility upgrades and cost of operations!

It’s not about money, it’s about history and principle. I get it, a lot of people don’t understand that, but to each their own. The area I farm has been bringing a minimum of $30,000 an acre long before the Data Centers came in with their six figure offers. None of this is speculation, it’s facts. None of it interest me. As a landowner it should be my choice if I don’t want to sell something I own; big money and big govt do not seem to agree

It’s ironic; when my Dad was still alive he watched one or 2 episodes of Yellowstone. He refused to watch anymore; he said he was living it every day and didn’t need any extra exposure to it

Our power infrastructure has been abysmal for at least 40 years due to the aftermath of Three Mile Island and the resultant hand wringing. Maybe the need for these data centers will finally be the stimulus needed to upgrade the power grid. That would be a good thing.

There is Data center being built just North of Indianapolis off of interstate 65. It sits on 1500 acres and estimated cost is 10 billion. Its a big complex, I heard today they will be done with the dirt work around November.

There are several planned for my gemeral area in southeast PA. People have been railing against them from the beginning. I don't think they realize they are a done deal, most already have the go-ahead from the local supervisors/zoning/planning boards. All that ginned-up outrage is just wasted breath.

I have two issues with them. One is the rising cost of electricity which at least two local utilities (PPL and First Energy) have blamed on the cost of building out their infrastructures to accommodate the increased demand of the data centers.

As someGuyInKansas mentioned, there is a push by lawmakers to make the companies building these mega-centers to pay for the necessary infrastructure upgrades in the electrical grid themselves. I believe it is too little too late because our electric costs have increased over 30% in the last year. I don't see them going back down.

White17, That's the first I heard of data centers planning on-site electric generation plants. I don't believe any of the proposed centers in my area have any such plans.

My second problem with them is the continued loss of farmland.

One in particular in South Whitehall Twp. will take up 410 acres of land currently being farmed. the land is owned by a family-owned corporation that has over 3,000 acres across 42 continual properties. Most of it is farmland. The brother and sister are getting old and the heirs want no part of it so they have begun liquidating. They have already sold off about a thousand acres. Old stone houses and barns were razed and a new hospital was built. A housing development is planned.

When I think about the loss of farmland since I was young I sometimes wonder where our food will come from if it continues.

Here's a little bit

https://www.bloomenergy.com/blog/on...ill-dominate-data-center-market-by-2028/

If data centers would improve the average American citizens life
They wouldn't be building them
Some of these centers will be supplied power from a micro nuclear reactor they build on site
I thought they are bad?

They are building one about 8 miles from me. Huge footprint.
Now they have broken ground the public is trying to stop it.
Once permits are signed on public utilities good luck. Neighbors tried to stop the cell tower i have on my farm. Didn't happen. 99 year contract. Check comes every month.

Thanks for the articles White. The Three Mile Island article was particularly interesting.l It sounds like Microsoft is forking over big bucks to help get Reactor Two back up and running but Gov. Shapiro is involved and "helping" and that almost certainly means taxpayer money will be thrown at the project as well as sweetheart deals ( long-term tax cuts).

Also, I didn't read anything in any of the articles that pointed to data center companies building on site generation plants. Bloom Energy and Siemens Energy wishes they would but didn't mention any takers. I suppose it might be a contract violation to disclose that information though.

They have plans to build atleast 4 that I know of all within 30 minutes of me. The Project Sail is supposed to be the largest data center in the whole country. Alot of people are opposing them but like normal they will hold their little BS town hall and public meetings but they will always go through despite public backlash. You can’t stop that money!

I see nothing positive coming from the surveillance centers. They contribute absolutely nothing to the communities they invade, they produce no long term jobs, they put more strain on the local infrastructure. The billionaire developers line the pockets of the commissioners, and zoning board members with stacks of money, they get tax abatements and the people that live in the communities are left with the bill because when the abatements run out, so do the surveillance centers. Pay close attention to your community leaders and stay in their ears so that they hopefully don't get bought off. Nothing good will come of these surveillance centers.

another issue is while the data centers are being built all other construction suffers.
More demand than supply of workers.

There is one being built about 20 some miles south of me.
On the drive down that way we counted 53 dump trucks on the move.
This has been going on for about 6 months.

I fear that data centers, AI, flock cameras, facial recognition and all this tech is going to be bad for the average Joe.
Good for big business and big government.

Retired after 32 years of service as an industrial electrician. Only retired at the beginning of the year. Old company keeps calling me to come back. Tempting, but the fish isn't big enough yet. If the rumor comes true, I could go back for 1 month, and reach my SS allowed max earnings limit and be done. There is such a demand that job openings go unfilled. Alot of illegals filling the jobs. Previous coworker working one of the Data Centers in Cedar Rapids Iowa swears he seen Bernie from the movie Weekend at Bernies propped up in a corner drawing a paycheck. People are (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) about the tax breaks they are given. The amount of payroll taxes, sales taxes and everything else is astronomical that is being generated. No hotel rooms and outrageous rent being paid. It's called progress. Hard to stop it.

Who will get priority on electricity when thay all come on line and need more than we are producing. Everyone ready for 1000% increas in your electricity bill?


We have one going in about 7 or several miles from my farm and a 2nd about 45 mins away.

The Bank of ND invested millions in data centers. Everyone is pushing for them to the point its like they are paid too. They never ask the general public in the state what they thought. I don't have a cell phone, so I am good as is.

I have a significant investment in a large company that builds data centers and a couple of speculative companies that build/fuel nuclear energy production facilities. Like it or not, it's the future. If we lose the the AI race, y'all are gonna have to learn Mandarin. You will not like it, I'm guessing.

Musk built onsite generation. And of course the Karen's got the their knickers in a wad and got the government involved in regulating it to death. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/15/elon-musk-xai-datacenter-memphis

I talked with a guy that is over the DATA center construction in upstate South Carolina. I don't remember how many, but he stated they are installing their own LNG turbines. Several are manufactured by the company I work for (GEV). He said they will not be using public power, nor selling back to the local utilities. Around here I believe the biggest concern is the noise. People say there is a constant humming noise?

Do they recycle and then cool the water ? The water is what is IMPORTANT

I like bidding the roofs.
BIG Buildings$

CAT (caterpillar) stock has gone nuts. Look at the chart, I bought in around 2012 for around $175 if I recall.

They’re building something, somewhere, and ALOT

It's not just CAT by any means. In no particular order look at the one year charts of: AMD, AMAT, GOOG, ASML, VRT, AAPL, TSM, LLY, GEV, TXN, SNDK, MU, WDC, and I am tired of typing examples but there are plenty more. Whole market's "gone nuts", lol.

Lots of back up generators for data centers

Interesting article, thanks yote. Their begging for money due to a seemingly severe case of TDS was off-putting, but the article was informative and interesting nonetheless. One bit of information not present was whether or not transmission lines were built into the Colossus sites so excess energy could be sold back to the local utility.

I doubt very many are as tech ignorant as me. I did make money hauling rock to one being built in Smithville MO. It's about 200 miles east of the one talked about near St Louis. I guess whatever the purpose is it will take a bunch of them. The one near Smithville is actually two separate sites. At least a couple sections.

Yeah, about impossible to find unbiased news sources these days. This article has some bias as well but a bit more info about it. https://i10x.ai/news/xai-colossus-2-supercomputer-private-power-island?utm_source=copilot.com Colossus 2 is only about an hour north of me. As far as I can tell, Musk is not selling any energy back to the utilities. I think at this point they are still consuming more than they produce.

supposed to be one going in a town away from here

Also the Government wants to put them on federal lands. If that happens it will ruin the beauty of America and affect tons of wildlife.

One of my big questions is…….do we really NEED as many as they are trying to push through? Currently things seem to operate pretty smoothly in my opinion, in many cases TOO smooth and I frankly wish we could take a few steps back. There’s no denying it “creates jobs” or whatever label you wanna use. My brother is working 14 hrs/day right now helping build one.

Outlaw99, I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this and have already gotten screwed in the past. Keep up the good fight!

One side says “they use X amount of power and it’s too much” then the other side says “oh it’s not nearly that much and will have no effect”. It drives me crazy because you know they’re BOTH lieing!!

I’m on the fence (like many issues) and think we need both sides to be honest, ask the hard questions, and come to a common sense agreement. In short, I think slowing the process is a good thing to get a more informed decision and hopefully “better” overall outcome for everyone involved. Happy trapping! ScottW

Main opposition is from they don’t want to pay their fair share to their profits. They want to be paid to create a few JOBS. As they are now having a hard time making unfair deals they go to corrupting local government into selling out their voters.

New Florence and Warrenton Mo data centers are done deals, and construction has begun. It has created work for us, in increasing the capacity of the electrical grid. The area being graded at New Florence is approximately 2 square miles. I can’t see the site too well at Warrenton, but there is a lot of earthwork going on now.
At the New Florence location, well drilling has been done already, with depths of 1200’!
For me, these areas along with the thousands of acres of solar panels, replacing crop ground, is quite sickening!

Ironically just had another land brokerage firm call and leave a message yesterday. I tried calling back but no answer. When/if they do call back they’re gonna get an ear full. They’re on the same level as ambulance chasers at this point. No tact, no protocol. Just a race like it’s an open land grab and all these middle men want to be the first to get their dirty hands in it. I wish they’d have the fortitude to come stop by in person instead of hiding behind a phone and txt messages. I’d get a whole lot more satisfaction dealing with these worms face to face.

Another example of state bureaucracy tramping over local objections.

solar farm

We'll see what the next shoe brings. There isn't a need for more electrical output in the area yet.

In regard to data centers making their own power ... regardless of how they generate that power, the infrastructure for delivering and storing fuel to the powerplants still has to be developed, even with micro- nuclear plants.

Easy to make over $100 an hour on overtime plus benefits at the Cedar Rapids Iowa data centers right now. The big money pay is just getting started. If anybody wants to learn or knows anything about electrical, now is the opportunity to get paid well. The unfilled calls are being filled by illegals because the citizens are taking the pay. Not just electrical, the other trades are having the same problem.

I just seen on the news this morning that a county in Nebraska just banned data centers from being able to come in for a least one year. Probably more areas will do the same.

https://panhandle.newschannelnebras...nters-for-up-to-a-year-more-could-follow

Why? Are cell phone towers not going to work?

Are you being serious?




Exactly, whether we like it or not the world is going to AI and become even more automated. It's already here in many facets. Personally I wish we would all goo back to dial up internet and no smart phones. I don't think I'll like what is coming. Just like the trans continental railway, there isn't any stopping the AI train. If we don't do it our adversaries will. My belief is a lot of this anti propaganda is funded by china.

It will require more data centers.

Another interesting article. This one makes it sound like Musk’s xAI is the first to build their own generation stations.

"Elon Musk’s xAI is constructing a first-of-its-kind AI campus, strategically split across two states. A new power generation facility in Southaven, Mississippi, will exclusively energize the massive "Colossus 2" supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, creating a vertically integrated system designed to house up to one million GPUs and operate at gigawatt scale..."

Perhaps they referring to the size and power of the generation stations.

The plant to generate electricity for the data thing 6 miles north of me is going to produce 350 megawatts and is fueled by two 16 inch natural gas lines.
16 inch lines are huge.
The company building the data center is fully funding the power plant. The plant is called a “behind the meter” plant. That means they will use all of the power generated and no power will be put into public power grid.

Outlaw 99. Hang tough. It sucks to live on a place all your life and somebody decide "for the better good" we need your land. Had a main transmission line run across my homeplace taxes paid since the 1780s....private land so to speak. The county even thought it was a good place to connect a mountains to sea trail but luckily chose another route. We are in the fastest growing county in nc and all the big wheels think everything is for sale. Ive told more than one not even a shovelfull, path goes out the same way you came in. A lot of folks dont get it

Exactly, you get it!

…. Are data centers the reason why Trump said he was stapling green cards to Indian and Chinese diplomas or something like that ?

From this article about Colossus 2, dated 7 months ago, there is mention of other AI companies building their own generation plants. And, in AI speed, 7 months equals about "several" years, lol. A lot can happen in "several" months.



https://anastasiintech.substack.com/p/new-colossus-2-the-worlds-largest

I am for data centers as long as they result in raising the global temperature just high enough to combat the coming of the next ice age.

What is the correlation between data centers and Bitcoin?

Ol dad

I guess nobody watched Terminator. Skynet is here.

They really need to know everything about you.
Such as when you have your phone in your pocket, and you aren't even using it, and you tell your significant other your safe combination number, how much cash you have ( and didn't report as income to the IRS), how many guns you have, that "oil filter" that screws on the end of your rifle barrel thst you just had to tell your friend about, that conversation you had with your "side chick", and on and on....
They need to store this information somewhere, geez.

… some cool comments in here and all that

… but nobody answered my question about if the data center and ai stuff is why Trump said he’s stapling green cards to foreigners diplomas

… I know there’s some smart people on this forum that could explain how that’s a good idea

…. I’m too dumb to figure it out in my own

More than likely. I am currently in year 5 of higher education. Most of my classmates cannot fathom how (.2*40)+(.4*60)+(.6*80) = 80.

We have to face that our education system has completely failed our youth. I only know how to the solve that problem as I took the time to learn the simple process afterwards.

Trump is rubber stamping chinks green cards, because as white17 alluded to earlier in this post, if we don't develop this technology THEY will. And WE don't have the quality of people to beat them at that game. So, in order to do so... we have to rob their's.

Just my opinion.

^^^ yeah and there’s a reason our education system has failed

…. Equality is a myth

…. And there’s some theories out there as to why that was forced upon us

…. But maybe we focus on getting back to what we were … promote ideas that are healthy and productive… maybe even say we should try to ascend to greater heights than our ancestors… rather than regress in the name of egalitarianism

… just a thought

… or maybe just give up and staple green cards to Indian diplomas and get used to the smell of bo and curried rice

Meta has a large one underway in Louisiana. The land was originally owned by the same guy that owned land for a hunting lease I belonged to decades ago.

That's 3rd grade level math. Its sad someone getting a Masters in Business Administration can't solve that.

Keith

….. Kieth … you’re the smartest person ever …. Were you an exchange student in India or something?

Equality IS a myth..... 100%

And you can believe whatever you choose to believe regarding about how it came to be embraced here, because in the end how it happened matters not at all.......

I'm 100% with you as well on getting back to where we were.

But can we do that by next week, or next year?

I know you know we cannot so........

what should we do in the meantime??

…. I guess just cease to be Yote

.,I’ve got blowback from my own people since I was a teenager for expressing my concerns regarding the destruction of our culture

…. There will be those that say it’s biblical prophecy that we decline … there’s also people that believe in many other non Hebrew religions that forecast end times as well so who knows

Me … focused strictly on what I can see and touch on this earth…..I think we need to reclaim our birthright and not give it away …. Maybe have a pro western culture media that promotes constructive ideals ? … maybe tell those that run the teachers union they can’t brainwash our kids anymore? … this is going to sound extreme… but maybe not spend our tax dollars to support generations of bums …. I almost want to say make some high fenced enclosures to put the bums and welfare folk in … maybe have them work to just feed themselves at a minimum .. and if anyone is caught intentionally poisoning the minds of our youth… throw them in there too

…. Maybe burn a couple bad books

…. I don’t know…. But something has to change

I think that if there any true men left in Europe, of European descent, that it's going to kick off there soon. I think most of the third world people, especially the Muslims, will be driven from Europe.

If that happens, the same will likely happen here, but more peacefully.

Keith

… there ain’t many left … most of the genetics were killed off in brothers wars I imagine

I get a kick out of people saying we have to beat China to the tech. You are in a hurry to be under a total communist regime, huh? You don't think we are already being tracked closely enough and desire to have your bank account frozen if you don't worship your elected leaders at all times?

Savell, you'd be interested in my vertically integrated organ harvesting, chipper and feed plant, alongside hog and chicken ranches.....win win...

I'm afraid this is where we're headed, no matter who wins what.

I can't fathom the endless money available to build these things and it shows me the values and morals of the society we live in. Our local officials used some underhanded principles to bypass the public input. Once it was in motion the cry for mercy was......If we don't build these our school system is going to suffer we need the tax revenue. So.... billions of dollars are being spent , so the schools can receive a 15% tax revenue. Puny handout from a greedy society

As pointed out the concerns here is the electrical infrastructure they require, the burden gets placed on the customer’s already on the grid and if they close the doors the customers still there are stuck paying for the infrastructure they don’t need.