Data Center Discussion Focuses on DNR Permit Application

Following passage of the data center moratorium by the Nodaway County Commission, discussion focused on the recent Scale Microgrids application of a permit to generate and sell energy to the grid with the Missouri DNR. “Evergy is not getting any tax abatements for their project, so why should White Cloud Generating,” asked Scott Wilson. “We were told these generators would run three hours; now, they are set to run 24 hours a day.”

The data center project south of Maryville is being split into two projects. One is under White Cloud Acres, which would run the data center, and White Cloud Generating, which would run the generator system, which it says would sell electricity to the grid for the purpose of developing enough capacity for the grid to support a data center.

Mike Wilson expressed the concern expressed by many that the recently-passed moratorium would not affect the generator portion of the project, since it is being run by a completely different entity, although they are both under the same developer. The moratorium specifically mentions data centers and not any other entity.

“They know exactly what their plans are,” said Susie Strauch. “We don’t.”

Presiding Commissioner Bill Walker said the next step was to look at the proposed development agreement being drawn up by the county attorney, Travis Elliott. As for an extension of the six-month moratorium, “We’ll see where we’re at,” he said.

The topic of sound came up as well. Commissioner Scott Walk said that the data center company is establishing a baseline of sound so they can measure the sound of the data center. Any sound above the baseline would be sound emitted by the facility. They are doing this during the daytime, when there is a lot of truck traffic, and during the night. The company pledged at its June meeting in one of its flyers to keep the sound of the proposed facility to under 50 decibels.

Other discussion focused on the J-turns that the DOT is putting in all over the state.  They are putting one in near where the proposed data center would  be. In a recent news release on its periodic newsletter, “Express Lane,” the DOT included a piece explaining why it believes J-turns are safer. Commissioner Chris Burns said they have been putting them in all over the state, not just on 71. The participants at Thursday’s meeting were not convinced. “I don’t care if they’re saying it’s safer; it’s not,” said Susie Strauch, citing what she said would be increased truck, tractor, and combine traffic on roads like 71.

 

Scale Microgrids Applies for Power Generator Permit With DNR

Scale Microgrids has applied to the DNR for a permit for a power generation facility at the proposed data center site south of Maryville that would sell up to 600 megawatts of electricity to the local bulk electric system. RTP Environmental, a company based in South Carolina, filed the paperwork with DNR on behalf of Scale. There would be 12 simple-cycle turbines. The company says that the facility will not be a major source under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration regulations because the facility’s maximum annual emissions will be less than 250 tons per year for each pollutant.

All the required paperwork for the proposed project is available online at the Missouri DNR website.

The power generator would be a simple-cycle natural gas-fired electric generating facility. It would interconnect with the Southwest Power Pool transmission system at the Mullin Creek substation via a new high-voltage substation to be constructed as part of the proposed data center.

The project, under White Cloud Generating, would be under a different entity than the data center, which is under White Cloud Acres. The stated purpose is to provide reliable electric service in the area, including the ability of the local electric utility to serve a data center load.

The power generation facility would be located at 340th Street and Jet Road near Barnard, Pumpkin Center, and Maryville.

The components would consist of 12 simple-cycle natural gas fired combustion turbines, each with an evaporative cooler and each with a Hot SCR for NO2 control and an oxidation catalyst for CO and VOC control. There would be 12 electric fuel gas heaters, two emergency diesel engine fire pumps, two 400-gallon diesel fuel tanks, 12 lubricating oil tanks, and two 20,000-gallon aqueous ammonia storage tanks. Natural gas would come from a nearby ANR pipeline.

The diesel engine fire pumps would only be operated during emergency situations and once a week for 30 minutes for testing purposes. Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel would be used in the emergency diesel engine fire pumps. The electric heaters would be used to prevent the natural gas from condensing.

If White Cloud Generating gets a permit and a notice to proceed, construction of the project would take approximately 12 months.

The combustion turbines are proposed to be operated at baseload up to 8,685 hours per year, or just under 24 hours a day.

The Missouri DNR has primary jurisdiction over air emissions by enforcing its own regulations as well as the EPA regulations.

As part of its permit requirements, White Cloud Generating will be required to do extensive recordkeeping, monitoring, performance tests, notification of both the DNR and EPA, and ensuring that equipment purchased meets DNR and EPA regulations. White Cloud Generating will do maintenance checks on its emergency diesel engine fire pumps for up to 100 hours per year.

The project will be subject to Acid Rain Program Regulations. The Acid Rain Program, according to the EPA website, requires major emission reductions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, the primary precursors of acid rain, from the power sector. The program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of Sulfur dioxide which can be emitted by electric generating units in the United States. The final cap was set in 2010 at 8.95 million tons total. White Cloud Generating will submit an Acid Rain Permit Application at least 24 months before the units commence commercial operating.

The projected date to start construction is February 2027, which is after the Nodaway County data center moratorium is set to expire, unless the County Commission extends it. The projected date of operation startup is February 2028.

 

Draft of Data Center Study Released to Water District

A draft of the feasibility study that was commissioned by the Nodaway County Rural Water District has been given to the board, the District announced at its regular meeting Monday. The board members will review the study and then it will be released to the public following approval.

The study looked at four options regarding data center development for the proposed facility south of Maryville. The first was drawing water out of the 102 River. Scale Microgrids, the developer of the project, requested 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of water per day for domestic use by the employees and 70,000 galloons a day for production and industrial usage. The center would be responsible for complying with DNR, EPA, and District standards.

The study in question looked at the following options:

--Expansion of District infrastructure to allow the volume to come from Maryville;

--Increasing the scope and costs to allow the center to piggyback onto the nearby Evergy project, which is drawing water from Andrew County;

--Using wastewater presently discharged from the City of Maryville, then piping it back to Maryville for discharge into the 102;

--Drawing directly from the 102. This could bypass Water District input, but would then make it subject to Army Corp of Engineers regulations.

Some options have already been ruled out. One is digging for groundwater. The other option ruled out was drawing water from the Missouri River.

The study is paid for by Scale Microgrids and conducted by an outside agency with oversight from Brock Pfost.

Around 50 people were present, several of whom spoke at the meeting Monday. Board President Dean Adwell had participants limit their speeches to five minutes. “We’re all adults here,” he said.

Jennifer Gillespie said that her family had lived near where the proposed project would be built and that they own 40 acres right next to where it would be built. She said that the reps at the public meeting at Mozingo were not there to ask for approval, but to make a sales pitch. She said that there were two data centers in Smithville, one in Platte County, and one planned for St. Joseph and that part of the goal was to train AI so that they could eventually take everyone’s jobs. “That’s pretty scary for our kids,” Ms. Gillespie said. She cited recurring concerns about light, water, and air pollution. “The elites can’t make water,” she said. She said that the proliferation of data centers was “like a disease spreading all over the US. Are you for profit, or are you for providing rural water,” she asked. “If this project is built, what happens to our rural water?”

Holly Caviness asked, “What guarantees will be have that we will have equal priority? What oversight and monitoring will you do if they draw from the 102? Will you commit to commissioning an independent study?”

Nancy Zeliff talked about what she saw as the lack of transparency and the secrecy. She said that Iowa, which has a lot of CAFO’s, has one of the top two or three cancer rates in the nation. “And we found this out 30 years after the fact,” she said. She said that Palo Alto County (IA), where she was originally from, had the highest cancer rate in the state and that Northern Iowa stinks because of the CAFO odor. She said that since she had gotten involved in the struggle against the data center, she had received notes of encouragement from people in Fairfax and Rock Port. She noted that Rock Port’s citizens had banded together to successfully stop a toxic waste incinerator from being built there in 1986. “70% of Americans don’t want data centers,” she asked.

Scott Wilson of Bolckow said he was not convinced that the wastewater method would be safe. Regarding the option to draw water from the City of Maryville, Mr. Wilson said, “It would not be popular to turn Mozingo Lake into a mud puddle.”

One of the arguments made against the proposed data center was that of Riparian rights, or the principle that people downstream have just as much right to water usage as people upstream. Speaking of the Bolckow water system, Mike Wilson, who is the father of Scott Wilson, said, “We pump millions of gallons of water to people. We don’t want it contaminated.” He noted that the study said nothing about the rights of downstream water users like the City of Bolckow.

Julie Nielson, who lives three miles from the proposed project, said that since noise affects cattle even more than humans and affects fertility by as much as 40%, it would harm their cattle operation. “This is cattle country, and future generations want to live here too,” she said. “We want to know what was said between you and the developer and why we weren’t included.”

Wayne Beatty is a sixth generation cattle producer who lives near the project. “You’re trying to turn this into crap,” he said. He feared the rise in heat near the data center, which he said could be between five and 25 degrees. “What if it’s 100 degrees out? If we fight this, we will still have our air, cattle, and water.”

“You haven’t said one thing; do you even care,” asked Jennifer Gillespie. “Either you are for it or against it. Would you want to live next to one? I know you guys enjoy the outdoors and conservation.”

At that point, people began answering questions about the project. Brock Pfost said that the focus of the district was on water and that the topic should stay on water. “I’ve lived here for over 60 years,” he said. Board President Dean Adwell said that they will take into account everyone’s comments and that they were not for the data center or against it; they were gathering information.

One topic that came up was that of droughts. While this has been one of the wettest years in recent memory, there has been a lot of drought in the area in recent years. If there were an extreme drought, under the district’s policy approved by the board, the water district would give service to residential households and the hospital first; they would be the last customers to be shut off in the event of such an emergency.

If the data center were to draw water directly from the 102, there would be the problem of what to do in the event of a major drought. “I can walk across the 102 during a drought,” Mr. Beatty said.

Mr. Pfost said that the district has a lot of contingency plans for droughts. They have alternative connections, including with Clarinda and Red Oak if the need ever arises. They are working on one in Atchison County where, if it goes through, would allow the district to use some underutilized water from Rock Port. They also own the pond south of Gentry that serves Grant City, Stanberry, and Parnell. The Rural Water District gets 90% of its water from Maryville, and the ongoing goal is to diversify its water sources in the event of an emergency.

The topic turned to the Evergy plant that is being built next to the proposed data center. It will use 90,000 gallons of water per day, and the water will be piped from Savannah through Andrew County Rural Water District #3 to the Nodaway County Rural Water District. Evergy will fund a tentative 95% of the costs to build the infrastructure. But Mr. Pfost said that the District has not signed an agreement with either the data center or Evergy regarding water service.

Nothing was on the agenda or voted on regarding the data center at Monday’s meeting. Nick Robb, who serves as the attorney for the Water District, said that before any action was taken, it would be put on the agenda and people would have an opportunity to weigh in. “All the board is doing is their due diligence regarding the project,” Mr. Robb said.

The Water District hooked up one new Nodaway County customer last month. They received 302 locate requests. Parnell had two pump stations taken down by lightning by the recent storm; they were replaced. The storm also had seven washouts. The Water District finished their 3” line to the Sheridan area and is in the process of hooking up 13 new customers.

While the Water District is on a sound financial footing, one area of concern is water rates. Maryville is raising its rate to the Water District by 50% effective January 1st, 2027 and by another 50% effective January 1st, 2028 to help pay for its new treatment plant. The water loss rate was 13% for May and is around 16% for the year.

 

More Details Released on Proposed $6 Billion Data Center

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. 

Public Forum with Data Center Representatives June 3rd at Mozingo

A public forum with representatives of Scale Microgrid, which is developing the proposed $6 billion data center south of Maryville, will be held Wednesday, June 3rd at the Mozingo Events Center starting at 6:00 pm. Representatives from the company will be on hand to answer any questions that people might have about the project.

Tuesday’s Nodaway County Commission meeting found people still searching for answers about the proposed project. One visitor to the meeting, Jeff From, said that there was a lot of variability on data centers. “You need to do an independent examination,” he said.

Commissioners have been working the phones talking to commissioners all over the state and the country trying to find answers on the economic impact, both good and bad, that these data centers would have on the community.

Meanwhile, people are still looking for answers. One visitor, Anna Teale of Maryville, said that she already deals with the noise outside the Kawasaki plant when they do their exercises every day and it’s recorded over a loudspeaker. She said that there were a lot of unanswered questions about the project. “Many people can’t take off work to come to the commissioner’s meetings,” she said.

Commissioner Chris Burns said that there has been no site plan, no request for abatement from the company, and no permitting applied for. Permits from the DNR are a public record and are posted on their website. “If we can’t stop the project, we may want some kind of abatement as a means to control the project,” he said. One possible way of doing it could be to do an abatement, and then have the company turn around and make a Community Benefit Payment, which could be distributed to all the schools in Nodaway County and/or all the communities.

Teale expressed concerns about property values and about altering the rural character of the county. “I want my grandkids to grow up having a rural experience. That’s why I came back here,” she said.

Mr. Burns said that he has been talking to commissioners in Montgomery County along with a school superintendent there as well as Camden and Cass Counties. Commissioner Scott Walk said that he has been talking to commissioners in Loudon County (VA), which has over 200 data centers.

One visitor, Mary Strauch, who lives right next to where the project would be built, said that she was concerned about the noise and the pollution. “The neighbors next to the nearby power station are not happy with it either,” she said. “I have a great-grandchild who plans to farm here. I want them to live to be 50.”

Mr. From expressed doubts that such a facility would last as long as proponents say it would. Data centers are used to power AI bots like Chat GPT, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, and other such bots. Many charge users a monthly fee to use their bots for more than a few times, which can add up if 100 million users from around the world sign up to use, say, Grok. They also charge companies even more for more specialized use of their AI’s. However, Mr. From said that some companies were turning back to human employees, finding that the cost to use AI’s was not worth it. Also, there are certain things that AI’s are still not good at; for instance, there are plenty of YouTube videos of lawyers getting in trouble with judges and/or the state bar association after they used AI to make legal briefs, only to find out that the cases cited were completely fictitious or did not say what the AI’s said they did.

Commissioner Scott Walk said he found from talking to Loudon County officials was that there were no clusters of people with high rates of cancer despite there being over 200 data centers there for 20 years. There were issues with pollution, especially with heavy metals. The water has to be treated extensively, especially from corrosion, before disposal. The data center would have to follow DNR permitting requirements and rules like everyone else.

Mr. Walk said that there would also be pollution from the natural gas generator that the center would use to produce its own electricity. It would have to have an air permit. He said that while they can mitigate the pollution from the gas generators, there are certain pollutants that they can’t mitigate yet. He pledged to keep raising questions with the DNR, but said that he got transferred four times when he called them, and the person he finally talked to didn’t have any more answers on data centers than anyone else.

Mr. Walk acknowledged that noise was one of the biggest issues that data centers have, and that from talking to Loudon County commissioners, noise complaints were one of the biggest complaints that they got regarding the centers there. Presiding Commissioner Bill Walker said that they were trying to get answers like everyone else. “Whenever we get concrete answers, we will communicate them,” he pledged.

Another issue that came up Tuesday was water loss. Ms. Teale noted that there were communities that she read about with data centers that were dealing with water quality issues. Nodaway County Economic Developer Josh McKim said that the company and the City of Maryville and/or the Rural Water District could enter a contract not to exceed a certain amount of daily water usage, which brought up the question of what would happen if the company hit its maximum. One possible solution would be to drill for water underneath the table; however, it could affect water quality for the surrounding area. Other data centers have trucked water in when they have hit their maximum. There is an untapped reserve in Andrew County near Amazonia.

Commissioners pledged to keep seeking answers regarding the impact of the data center. “We want to do what’s best for Nodaway County,” he pledged.

Flooding from Saturday and Monday’s storms affected Nodaway County. There was water over the road just west of the Honey Creek Bridge near the late Eldon Hart’s old house; DOT crews came and closed the road. Highway 71 at the Nodaway River just north of Clearmont was closed due to water over the road. John White of Hopkins Township reported that there was flooding that washed out gravel on Highway 246 & Leopard Road east of Hopkins. There were issues with gravel washing off the roads. There were leaks in the upstairs hallway, two spots in the juvenile office, and one in the sheriff’s office. Commissioners adjourned early to look at roads.