Not sure about this. The eastern US has been getting much more water than it needs while it's primarily the west that has been seeing water scarcity. I think water is one of STL City's single biggest strengths.Trololzilla wrote: ↑Sep 12, 2025I'd only be okay with data center construction provided the builders had to fund the requisite infrastructure to supply the buildings and not put taxpayers on the hook.
Also, water might be plentiful now, but we're rapidly heading towards a world that could very well be fighting over fresh water, so a word of caution there.
Warren Co Record - Residents pack Warrenton board meeting with questions and concerns about proposed data center
https://www.warrencountyrecord.com/stor ... ter,159680
https://www.warrencountyrecord.com/stor ... ter,159680
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There are already fights about Missouri River water and we're losing them. Missouri was fighting to prevent the Garison Diversion project that plans to divert water from a Missouri River reservoir to the Red River basin, flowing into Hudson Bay. We lost. Other states have taken notes. Most of our water comes from the north and west. Very little comes from the east. Memphis is a different story, but the Western droughts really do affect us some. And Midwestern droughts are a thing now and will hurt us a lot more. The fights aren't coming. They're here.Auggie wrote: ↑Sep 12, 2025Not sure about this. The eastern US has been getting much more water than it needs while it's primarily the west that has been seeing water scarcity. I think water is one of STL City's single biggest strengths.Trololzilla wrote: ↑Sep 12, 2025I'd only be okay with data center construction provided the builders had to fund the requisite infrastructure to supply the buildings and not put taxpayers on the hook.
Also, water might be plentiful now, but we're rapidly heading towards a world that could very well be fighting over fresh water, so a word of caution there.
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Yeah, the Water Wars have already begun in Asia and Africa. It'll only get worse worldwide in the coming decades - don't think we're safe here just because we've got some water currently.
From St. Louis Magazine:
"The idea of a one-year data center moratorium for the city of St. Louis now appears to be dead, just one week after its planning commission voted unanimously in favor of the idea. But that’s only because city leaders instead decided to fast-track a new (short-term) regulatory framework for the energy-guzzling projects—one that would ensure the public gets to weigh in and the city gets to drill down on questions about energy and water use, among other things. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is said to be ready to introduce an executive order today requiring new data centers to attain a conditional use permit, as well as outlining the questions they’d have to address to get one, while the city works on a bigger zoning revamp. Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer says in light of that, she’s decided not push for a moratorium after all. “I think it's a really thoughtful approach, and I'm glad we were able to figure out something that still answers my concerns of, there are places that these shouldn't be, and there are sizes of these that would not be appropriate in our city,” she says. “The goal is having good regulations. At the end of the day, I think this brings us closer to that goal.” More after Spencer unveils her plan. —S.F."
This sounds much more reasonable to me than an outright ban.
"The idea of a one-year data center moratorium for the city of St. Louis now appears to be dead, just one week after its planning commission voted unanimously in favor of the idea. But that’s only because city leaders instead decided to fast-track a new (short-term) regulatory framework for the energy-guzzling projects—one that would ensure the public gets to weigh in and the city gets to drill down on questions about energy and water use, among other things. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is said to be ready to introduce an executive order today requiring new data centers to attain a conditional use permit, as well as outlining the questions they’d have to address to get one, while the city works on a bigger zoning revamp. Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer says in light of that, she’s decided not push for a moratorium after all. “I think it's a really thoughtful approach, and I'm glad we were able to figure out something that still answers my concerns of, there are places that these shouldn't be, and there are sizes of these that would not be appropriate in our city,” she says. “The goal is having good regulations. At the end of the day, I think this brings us closer to that goal.” More after Spencer unveils her plan. —S.F."
This sounds much more reasonable to me than an outright ban.
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Armory data center has a conditional use hearing on the 25th at 8:30am
relevant
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Demand for Data Centers, Energy Creates a Gold Rush for Infrastructure Investors
Asset owners and managers are pouring hundreds of billions into the construction of infrastructure for the AI ecosystem, although the horizon is not entirely clear.
https://www.ai-cio.com/news/demand-for-data-centers-energy-creates-a-gold-rush-for-infrastructure-investors/
Asset owners and managers are pouring hundreds of billions into the construction of infrastructure for the AI ecosystem, although the horizon is not entirely clear.
https://www.ai-cio.com/news/demand-for-data-centers-energy-creates-a-gold-rush-for-infrastructure-investors/
SCANLON: An AI “bubble” would be more destructive than the dot-com bubble. “It's not like Pets.com where it just disappears overnight. You have trillions of dollars in infrastructure that is gonna have to be reallocated."
https://bsky.app/profile/carlquintanill ... gwivs2ok23
https://bsky.app/profile/carlquintanill ... gwivs2ok23
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... nters.html
"This guest column was co-signed by the following St. Louis-area executives: Dustin Allison, interim CEO, Greater St. Louis Inc.; Gabe Angieri, executive director, Arch Grants; Karen Branding, president and CEO, Regional Business Council; Emily Hemingway, executive director, TechSTL; Elliott Kellner, chief financial and operations officer, Taylor Geospatial Institute; Emily Lohse-Busch, executive director, 39 North Agtech Innovation District; Gabe Lozano, CEO, LaunchCode; Mark Munsell, project lead, GeoFutures; Stephanie Regagnon, executive director, Yield Lab Institute; Donn Rubin, president and CEO, BioSTL; and Jesse Winters, president and CEO, T-REX."
I guess we know where Spencer's quick shoot down of a 1 year moratorium came from.
"This guest column was co-signed by the following St. Louis-area executives: Dustin Allison, interim CEO, Greater St. Louis Inc.; Gabe Angieri, executive director, Arch Grants; Karen Branding, president and CEO, Regional Business Council; Emily Hemingway, executive director, TechSTL; Elliott Kellner, chief financial and operations officer, Taylor Geospatial Institute; Emily Lohse-Busch, executive director, 39 North Agtech Innovation District; Gabe Lozano, CEO, LaunchCode; Mark Munsell, project lead, GeoFutures; Stephanie Regagnon, executive director, Yield Lab Institute; Donn Rubin, president and CEO, BioSTL; and Jesse Winters, president and CEO, T-REX."
I guess we know where Spencer's quick shoot down of a 1 year moratorium came from.
Indy Star - Is Franklin Township data center dead? Google withdraws petition just before Council hearing
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/loc ... 165695007/
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/loc ... 165695007/
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https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/ ... er-midtown
Green says temporary ban is not off the table.
So far, eveyone I have spoken to on this issue is strongly agaisnt a data center here. This is a deeply unpopular proposal. Very easy politics for Green and BOA members to come out in opposition.
Green says temporary ban is not off the table.
So far, eveyone I have spoken to on this issue is strongly agaisnt a data center here. This is a deeply unpopular proposal. Very easy politics for Green and BOA members to come out in opposition.
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Besides a few tech bros who are all into Bitcoin and scantly clad women on X, I've found no one in public who's supportive of a data center at the Armory. On the north riverfront? Yes. Off Manchester between Kingshighway and Skinker? Yes. Kosciusko? Yes.
Hopefully the proposal is declined because Midtown has too much going for it to have this be a waste for the rest of our lives.
Hopefully the proposal is declined because Midtown has too much going for it to have this be a waste for the rest of our lives.
"PERSPECTIVE: St. Louis Needs Data Centers or It Will Fall Behind"
https://constructforstl.org/perspective ... ll-behind/
https://constructforstl.org/perspective ... ll-behind/
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Report: States spend billions on data center incentives
‘We know of no other form of state spending that is so out of control.’
https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/report-states-spend-billions-on-data-center-incentives/
‘We know of no other form of state spending that is so out of control.’
https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/report-states-spend-billions-on-data-center-incentives/
And yet in the private sector, it'd be cheaper, faster, and more brand authentic to just hire a videographer or photographer than gen AI.
Every C-suite is being sold a bottom line booster but are instead being force fed slop. The public's left to deal with the fallout.
Every C-suite is being sold a bottom line booster but are instead being force fed slop. The public's left to deal with the fallout.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/column ... f7c46.html
Post-Dispatch being a platform for a fascist who represents Springfield and Joplin to tell St. Louis what type of development we should be accepting and gunning for.
Post-Dispatch being a platform for a fascist who represents Springfield and Joplin to tell St. Louis what type of development we should be accepting and gunning for.
Yes, Rep, let's build stuff- wind, solar, housing, transit, hospitals, schools...
How much did the tech bros pay him for that column? Let’s put all the data centers in Burlison’s district and see how much his constituents like it.Auggie wrote:https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/column ... f7c46.html
Post-Dispatch being a platform for a fascist who represents Springfield and Joplin to tell St. Louis what type of development we should be accepting and gunning for.
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https://www.reuters.com/business/us-dat ... 025-09-10/
"Hyperscalers are a big part of the increased demand for power, but they're not the whole picture," Bank of America Institute economists led by Liz Everett Krisberg said in the report.
"In fact, most of the expected rise in U.S. electricity demand through 2030 is coming from things like electric vehicles (EVs), heating, industrial reshoring, and electrifying buildings."
"Hyperscalers are a big part of the increased demand for power, but they're not the whole picture," Bank of America Institute economists led by Liz Everett Krisberg said in the report.
"In fact, most of the expected rise in U.S. electricity demand through 2030 is coming from things like electric vehicles (EVs), heating, industrial reshoring, and electrifying buildings."
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Front page of WSJ has good article on data center boom in Memphis. Interesting read.