A Missouri city council faced a quorum crisis Wednesday evening after voters ousted four members in a decisive election, directly tied to their support for a $6 billion data center project. The city council approved the plan on March 30 by a vote of 6 to 2, with three of the four incumbents who lost re-election having voted in favor of the initiative.
“This data center fight has struck this community to the core and really, honestly ignited a community-driven effort here,” said Dan Moore, one of the candidates who defeated an incumbent. “People are awake now, and we’re not going to let this continue on anymore.”
Gabe Cotton, a voter opposed to the data center, told KTVI-TV: “I think when the people in leadership are not listening, it shows that democracy is a solution to them ignoring their constituents.”
Opponents accused city officials of violating transparency laws before approving CRG Clayco’s plan to build on a 360-acre property near Highway 67. Festus City Administrator Greg Camp defended the project, stating: “It’s unlike anything that any of these, certainly the city, or any of those institutions, have ever seen before.”
The council was unable to hold its meeting Wednesday due to a lack of quorum following election results, which must be certified before becoming official. Supporters of data center construction argued critics exaggerate risks and emphasized their critical role in U.S. artificial intelligence competitiveness. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) stated on social media: “Banning data center construction is absurd and completely unacceptable. We need commonsense rules that protect consumers from rising energy bills, but stopping progress altogether — and losing to China — is the wrong approach.” He further noted: “Americans shouldn’t see their energy or water bills go up, but we also can’t afford to lose the computer race to China. We’re in a new Cold War, and sidelining data center development risks ceding our technological edge.”
