Data center

Mayor Cara Spencer says she supports a temporary pause on data center development in the city but not a full ban. The St. Louis Planning Commission voted Wednesday night to urge the city’s Board of Aldermen to enact a temporary moratorium on new data center development in an effort to give the city time to create rules for future projects.

St. Charles officials signed nondisclosure agreements as they considered a proposed data center project in their city. The agreements were with a company with links to Google.

The new solar facility in mid-Missouri would be built next to the Callaway nuclear plant. Ameren has requested approval for the project from Missouri’s Public Service Commission.

Large data centers are coming to Missouri, and they need a lot of power. Right now, there aren’t regulations governing how they will use energy, so Ameren is working to develop new rules.

After a proposed data center spurred public outrage in recent weeks, the St. Charles City Council held a special session to put in place a moratorium on data center applications.

The developer has withdrawn an application for a permit for the data center because of public opposition, according to St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer.

The secretive plans for a new 440-acre data center have attracted strong opposition from St. Charles residents.

The majority of St. Louis’ electricity comes from coal, which emits a lot of climate-warming greenhouse gases. To meet its climate goals, Mastercard is building its own solar field next to its O’Fallon data center.