‘We do not want this’: Missouri residents fight back against proposed AI data center in Nodaway County

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Protesters gathered at the intersection of Belt and Frederick Avenue on May 1, rallying against a proposed AI data center they say was pushed forward with little to no transparency from local elected officials.

The demonstration in St. Joseph is part of a nationwide effort called 'May Day' to push back against the expansion of AI data centers, which critics say bring air and noise pollution, strain water supplies and drive up utility costs.

One such facility is now being proposed for Nodaway County, and residents say they learned about it through word of mouth and local media, not from the people they elected.

“People have been left in the dark,” said Holly Caviness, a grassroots activist. “Not a lot of transparency. So people are left to kind of deal with these things as they’re happening.”

Caviness is part of a newly formed community group that started around a friend’s kitchen table in Nodaway County.

The organization, which recently connected fellow activism “No MO Dirty Data Centers” network, is gathering momentum as concerns mount over the environmental and financial impacts of data centers across Missouri’s urban areas.

“They are completely going after our urban areas, definitely in Kansas City and St. Louis,” Caviness said. “We know they have been popping up everywhere with no notice.”

One of the most pressing concerns, Caviness explained, is water usage.

While industry representatives often cite “closed loop” systems as a water-saving measure, Caviness said the reality falls short.

“These systems are not delivering the amount of water that is actually needed,” she said. “Often times, they are pulling hard from our water. In certain rural areas, local wells are drying up where these data centers are.”

She pointed to Mozingo Lake near Maryville, which she said is already struggling with water levels.

“There’s no possible way we could deal with the extreme water demands, up to a million gallons a day,” Caviness said.

Beyond consumption, she noted that water used in cooling systems often contains chemicals that lead to “chemical blowdown,” eliminating water even in closed-loop systems.

Utility costs are also climbing, as according to Caviness, the Missouri Worker Center recently reported that utility prices have risen about 15% for businesses and residents where these centers are already built, affecting electric, gas and water bills.

Despite political divides, Caviness said opposition to the data center is a bipartisan issue everybody across the political spectrum should be worried about.

“I think this is a totally bipartisan issue,” she said. “Everyone I’ve talked to is pretty much opposed to this, except for a few people who are kind of pulling the strings in our county.”

She added that elected officials who support or quietly allow the data centers do not appear to have their constituents’ best interests in mind.

“I don’t know if any of them really have our best interests at heart, to be honest,” she said.

Andrew Gibson, who recently ran for Missouri House District 10, agreed that the lack of transparency is the core problem.

“It boils down to transparency,” Gibson said at the rally. “It’s obvious they knew they had some kind of unpopular item, and they knew if they were to address it, it would require public outcry. It’s a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ sort of thing.”

Gibson said elected officials have a duty to be upfront with their constituents, especially on issues that are certain to provoke strong reactions.

“That’s most likely what they were trying to avoid,” he added. “Without knowing all the details, it clearly looks that way.”

Collin Clibon, a newly elected member of the St. Joseph City Council, attended the rally to show solidarity.

“I actually learned about this through some of the same channels the folks here did,” Clibon said. “There was a meeting hosted by the Persisterhood. Some folks were invited, and that was the first news I had of this.”

While St. Joseph doesn’t currently have a data center proposal on the table, Clibon said regional impacts are inevitable.

“Because of the energy-intensive nature of AI data centers, there are huge impacts on ratepayers, electricity and water,” he said. “It’s really important for the sake of our constituents that we keep a finger on the pulse of these kinds of projects.”

For those who want to fight similar proposals in their own communities, Caviness said make your voices heard.

“Go out and talk to your neighbors. Get involved. Go to your city council meetings and really pay attention, pay attention to what they are and are not saying,” she said. “A lot is being kept under wraps. They’re trying to do things behind closed doors.”

She urged residents to raise awareness and let elected officials know “we do not want this.”