More details were released regarding the proposed $6 billion data center near Pumpkin Center south of Maryville at a community forum Wednesday. Hundreds of people came to the Mozingo Events Center to meet with representatives from Scale Microgrids, which is developing the project, along with several other corporations and consulting firms that are involved with the project. There was also a representative from Evergy there. There were so many people there that the regular parking area at Mozingo filled up, and people had to use the overflow parking area south of the main parking lot. What is still not known is who the end user of this project will be.
The proposed facility will use reclaimed wastewater. The wastewater will be used to reduce emissions from the gas-powered generator; Scale says that they can reduce emissions by 97% by using wastewater. They would have their own water purification system on site. If they draw wastewater from the City of Maryville, it would be in addition to the water treatment they use. Afterwards, the wastewater would go back to Maryville, treated by the city following DNR and EPA standards, and then dumped back into the 102.
There would be more water usage than expected from the data center. Earlier estimates pegged the center's daily wastewater usage at 600,000 to 650,000 gallons of water per day. Scale's own fact sheet presentation at Wednesday's meeting says that the new center would need an initial influx of 1.5 million gallons of water. In addition, the facility would need maintenance every three years according to Scale. This would involve draining 30% of the wastewater and having it hauled off by a company certified to do so.
Several other reps of companies and consulting firms were there Wednesday. Involved in the project are:
--Kimley-Horn, a planning, surveying, engineering, and design consulting firm based in North Carolina, with $2.8 billion in revenues and 140+ locations around the country.
--Epsilon Associates, a permitting firm based in Massachusetts, which specializes in regulatory permitting from the EPA.
--Olsson Environmental Health, an environmental consulting firm;
--Environmental Consulting & Technology (ECT), a Florida based environmental consulting firm with employees in 29 states;
--Greenlight Strategies, a Colorado based land use consulting firm which specializes in fighting what they say is misinformation. They focus primarily on housing projects but can work on any land-use project. In part, its website says, "Maybe you’ve seen this scenario before: a small band of community members has decided to fight your project. With nothing but time on their hands — and sometimes with just a casual relationship with the truth — they begin spreading misinformation, outright falsehoods, and ad hominem attacks in the local paper, on Facebook, and NextDoor. Relying on time-tested scare tactics and gaslighting, these noisy few repeat and amplify claims that your project will permanently destroy neighborhood character, take away open space, create traffic nightmares, lead to spikes in crime, and result in plummeting home values and quality of life. And even though the misinformation is rarely truthful or factual, there’s a reason why these same lines are used over and over: they’ve always worked." Recent gatherings of data center opponents have drawn 200-300 people.
ECT presented some information at the Wednesday gathering regarding the environmental aspects of the project. There will be one protected area of 13.80 acres on the property that will not be developed. There is one cell tower, two transmission lines, and one substation on the proposed project; these pieces of infrastructure will not be moved. They say there is no critical habitat within the area. If protected species are observed in the area, the project will be halted. Any tree cutting that is needed will be done during the winter, when bats are not present. Nest areas of migratory birds will be protected.
Epsilon presented some information regarding the noise issues at the facility. The goal for the facility will be to emit sound of 50 decibels or less. This will be done through less noisy equipment, sound barriers, silencers, and other methods. The presentation did not address the issue of noise and cattle, which are more sensitive to noise than humans. It did not address the issue of subconscious noise, which can still affect humans. It depends on how well the anti-sound systems are constructed. A good sound barrier can protect cattle against high-frequency noises from cooling fans. But such barriers are ineffective against the large HVAC systems and backup generators that these centers use. For that, they would need to equip specialized silencers directly on their exhaust valves.
One problem is that silencers and sound barriers are ineffective at blocking the low-frequency noises that are not audible to humans but that can still negatively affect them. A January 2024 study from BMC Public Health, a scientific journal, found that low-frequency noise can negatively impact higher-order cognitive functions such as logical reasoning, mathematical calculations, and data processing. They can also cause stress, sleep deprivation, vibrating, and ear pressure on humans. Low-frequency waves can pass right over sound barriers and right through silencers.
Stopping low-frequency sound can be done, but it would make the project much more expensive. Some silencers have internal chambers, but these have to be specialized and match the exact frequency of the sound waves in question. If installed properly, the sound bounces back on itself and cancels itself out. Some pieces of equipment are installed on massive concrete bases that stop the sound from entering the ground. Some pieces of equipment are equipped with massive anti-noise headphones which cancel out the noise. Such a facility would then have to be constantly monitored so that noise issues can be identified and fixed.
While the proposed facility would generate its own energy, Evergy presented a fact sheet with what would happen if the facility's energy needs were to increase and they were to hook up to Evergy. Last year, regulators in both Missouri and Kansas approved a special electric rate that establishes criteria that all large energy users over 75 megawatts, including data centers, must meet before connecting to Evergy's system.
--Data centers have to pay 100% of all direct costs for service.
--Data centers must pay a premium rate that is as much as 20% higher than existing rates.
--Data centers must pay a significant portion of the ongoing costs to operate and maintain the electrical grid.
--Data centers must sign long-term contracts for up to 17 years with significant early cancelation penalties.
--Data centers have a monthly minimum bill that they must pay whether or not they use Evergy's energy.
Evergy says that data centers provide various economic benefits. They say that data centers share in the cost of utility upgrades, provide millions of dollars in local revenue, enable more investment, and create construction, permanent, and ongoing maintenance jobs. Evergy says data centers are vital to national security by ensuring the US has enough computing power and storage to operate vital businesses as well as military and financial systems.
Evergy is required to have enough power to meet its highest load plus a 15-38% reserve margin. In other words, they cannot add new customers without already having the capacity to provide the energy and keep a larger margin in reserve. Evergy reports that it averages fewer than ten days a year when it is on heightened alert status because of strains on the grid. In 2021, Evergy had rolling blackouts lasting half an hour due to a massive winter storm. Sheridan was affected.
Evergy says that data centers will not increase power costs; in fact, they say that they will reduce costs by paying a significant portion of the ongoing costs to operate and maintain the grid.
Strategic Economic Research, a consulting firm based in Normal (IL), did an economic impact study for the proposed $6.3 billion data center in March. The study says it would generate over $1.1 billion in total local taxes for all taxing districts over the estimated 35-year lifespan of the project. They say it would generate 445 local jobs during construction, 4,803 jobs for the state of Missouri, 591 new local long-term jobs for Nodaway County, and 751.4 new long-term jobs for Missouri.
The SER study says that the project would generate $38.2 million in local earnings during construction for Nodaway County, $427 million in earnings for Missouri, over $33.5 million in new local long-term earnings for Nodaway County, and over $45.7 million in new earnings for Missouri. The SER study estimates over 145 million in new output in Nodaway County during construction, $3.3 billion in new local output during construction in Missouri, over $133 million in new local long-term output for Nodaway County, and over $173 million in new long-term output for Missouri.
The project is estimated to have a lifespan of 35 years. Estimated total local taxes to be paid by the project are estimated to be $1.1 billion over that 35-year span. This includes all taxing entities, including the South Nodaway School. No comprehensive tax payment was calculated, and their calculations were used to illustrate the potential economic impact of the project.
The Nodaway County Public Water Supply District provided some background and information about the project in a fact sheet drawn up by White Cloud Engineering and Construction. In 2024, Evergy approached the Water District about serving the Mullen Creek power plant with 150 gallons per minute of treated water. Their plan is to install a main line from Savannah through Andrew PWSD #3 to the Evergy site and add storage that can be used by the entire district. The plan is to start providing construction water to Evergy as soon as possible.
In October 2025, representatives of ReLoad, which was subsequently bought out by Scale Microgrids, approached the district about serving the proposed data center. The Rural Water District is now in the process of carrying out a feasibility study, funded by Scale Microgrids, to determine the best course of action. The district hired White Cloud Engineering and Construction to oversee it and the consulting firm of Lamp/Rynearson of Kansas City to carry out the study. The study is set to be complete by the middle of June, after which the district will release it to the public.
Scale is requesting 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of water per day for domestic use by the center's employees and 70,000 gallons a day of water usage for production and industrial usage. The center would receive water in a normal manner and then be responsible for using it in accordance with DNR, EPA, and District standards. They may be interested in more supply periodically according to the district.
The study is examining options for water supply, including:
--Expansion of District infrastructure to allow the volume to come from the City of Maryville;
--Increasing the scope and costs to allow the center to piggyback onto the Evergy project;
--Using wastewater presently discharged from the City of Maryville;
--Allowing the center to draw directly from the 102 River, which could be a stand-alone project without District input.
Some options have already been ruled out. One is digging for groundwater; many opponents have expressed concern that groundwater use would contaminate or drain their wells. Another option that was ruled out was drawing the water from the Missouri River due to the distance and cost involved.
