Key Takeaways

  • Gov. Mike Kehoe used an AI summit to reinforce state support for Google and Amazon’s combined $25 billion data center plans in New Florence.
  • Local opposition, water use questions, and energy reliability concerns are shaping the political dynamics around hyperscale investment.
  • State agencies are presenting new data on aquifer capacity, cooling methods, and long-term resource planning to address community worries.

Missouri officials spent last week trying to stabilize a rapidly growing debate over the role of hyperscale infrastructure in rural communities. The event was Gov. Mike Kehoe’s AI summit, which he used to publicly back Google’s planned $15 billion data center and Amazon’s $10 billion development in New Florence. The timing mattered because these projects have become flashpoints in Montgomery County, where the two companies are now responsible for one of the largest rural technology investments in the country.

It is not every day that a farm county of 11,460 people finds itself hosting $25 billion of capital commitments. That alone has made residents curious, hopeful, and in some cases frustrated. Some of the tension surfaced in litigation, including a community lawsuit accusing Amazon and local officials of violating Missouri’s Sunshine Law. Even Festus, located miles away, saw its entire city council voted out after approving a separate $6 billion data center. Those political reactions illustrate how hard it can be to fold global-scale digital infrastructure into smaller communities.

The summit was Kehoe’s attempt to reset the tone. He argued that economic gains would last for decades, stating that residents should look closely at what such an investment means for future generations. In his view, the major tech companies have committed to covering required electricity and infrastructure upgrades. That was his way of saying the projects are not going to shift the burden to taxpayers. Not everyone is convinced, but the state wanted to make the case with data, not only promises.

Water is one of the most sensitive pieces of this debate. Large data centers consume water for evaporative cooling in many regions, although designs vary. Nationally, data centers directly consumed about 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, a figure researchers expect to approach 33 billion gallons by 2028 according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Local opponents worry that Missouri could eventually follow the national trend, even though the specific Google and Amazon plans look different from that projection.

A CDM Smith analysis for Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources found that the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer, which serves the region, refills at about 406 million gallons per day. Current withdrawals are around 71 million gallons per day, and projected use in 2060 would remain near 17% of annual recharge. Those are large margins, and state officials referenced them to argue that the aquifer can support growth while leaving room for conservation.

Google plans to rely entirely on air cooling at its New Florence facility. Amazon’s design is more hybrid. The company expects to use air cooling 93% of the time, with water needs near 50 million gallons per year when evaporation-based cooling is required. For context, consultants equate that annual usage to a single golf course. Amazon’s global disclosures also show improved efficiency, with the company reporting in 2025 that its global data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water worldwide, averaged 0.03 gallons per kWh, and improved water efficiency by 52% since 2021. Some analysts, including those at the International Energy Agency, note that air-cooled systems often reduce water strain but can slightly raise electricity demand. That tradeoff is becoming a common topic in infrastructure planning.

Energy reliability was the other primary concern that officials wanted to address. Missouri once exported power but now imports it, which has raised costs. A representative from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy said that the administration is focused on shifting the state back to a net exporter position. The official pointed out that some hyperscale facilities exceed 1,000 megawatts, roughly equivalent to powering up to 1 million homes. That level of load can pressure the grid, yet state planners suggested it may also encourage new generation, transmission investment, and improved planning coordination.

There was also discussion about environmental guardrails. The state’s natural resources director and a representative from an infrastructure provider noted that developers are increasingly aware of public expectations around water, energy, and emissions. State agencies are responsible for regulating air and water discharge for these facilities. That regulatory posture is one reason the state highlighted established standards such as ASHRAE data center cooling guidance, which influences cooling design, and ISO 50001 for energy management practices. Analysts at groups like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have often pointed out that adherence to those standards can help facilities reduce waste.

One interesting angle from industry research came from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, which has been examining rural economic transitions. Their reports describe how large-scale digital infrastructure can diversify revenue streams in places where agricultural output is the primary economic engine. That context helps explain why some residents view the New Florence projects as a strategic opportunity rather than a risk. Still, the pace of development has outstripped what many counties are used to managing. The mismatch between local planning cycles and hyperscale build schedules is part of what creates tension in the first place.

By the end of the summit, the state’s message was straightforward. Missouri wants to become a leader in AI-era infrastructure, and Google and Amazon’s investments are central to that goal. The challenge is persuading communities that these facilities can coexist with local priorities around water, energy, and quality of life. Whether the summit quiets opposition or simply opens the next phase of negotiation is not yet clear. But the state appears determined to keep the conversation active rather than reactive, which might be the only viable approach when two global companies arrive in a rural county with a combined $25 billion and a long build horizon.