Wearing a "No Data Centers in Franklin County" T-shirt, Dana Bowers, front center, and her son Daxtin Bowers, 13, front right, stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of a public meeting about proposed data centers being held by the Franklin County Commission at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
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UNION — A marathon public hearing on two proposed data centers in Franklin County — and regulations for such projects — kicked off Monday morning with more than 200 people filing into a chilly campus gym, most hoping to convince county commissioners to reject the massive projects.
Nichole Zielke, left, and Amanda Jasper organize comment cards turned in before the start of a public meeting about data center development that was being held by the Franklin County Commission at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Franklin County Commission member Ken Cox, right, listens as members of the public express their opposition to data center development in Franklin County during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
The intersection of Missouri Route 100 and Interstate 44 in Gray Summit is seen in the bottom image in March, 2026. Developers are proposing a 495-acre, $16 billion data center be built on the land in center of the photo just beyond where Route 100 ends. The two renderings on top were displayed at a public meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026 show the land that developers are planning to build on.
Hundreds of community members listen as attorney Kurt Voss, center, makes comments in favor of approving a data center as he addresses the Franklin County Commission during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Franklin County Commission members Dave Schatz, left, Paul Overschmidt, center, and Ken Cox listen as data center developer Ryan Sanders, with Beltline Energy, addresses them during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
A truck with a sign opposing data center development is parked at East Central College were the Franklin County Commission held a public meeting about data center development at on Monday, May 18, 2026. Hundreds of people attended the meeting.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Community members listen to comments are made to the Franklin County Commission about data center development during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Joe Eversmeyer, from Pacific, addresses the Franklin County Commission about his opposition to a data center development during public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026. Eversmeyer lives two miles from the proposed Beltline data center development.
The moratorium is needed, city leaders wrote in documents, to give officials time "study, review, and consider policies, regulations and stand…
Wearing a "No Data Centers in Franklin County" T-shirt, Dana Bowers, front center, and her son Daxtin Bowers, 13, front right, stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of a public meeting about proposed data centers being held by the Franklin County Commission at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Nichole Zielke, left, and Amanda Jasper organize comment cards turned in before the start of a public meeting about data center development that was being held by the Franklin County Commission at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Franklin County Commission member Ken Cox, right, listens as members of the public express their opposition to data center development in Franklin County during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
The intersection of Missouri Route 100 and Interstate 44 in Gray Summit is seen in the bottom image in March, 2026. Developers are proposing a 495-acre, $16 billion data center be built on the land in center of the photo just beyond where Route 100 ends. The two renderings on top were displayed at a public meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026 show the land that developers are planning to build on.
Hundreds of community members listen as attorney Kurt Voss, center, makes comments in favor of approving a data center as he addresses the Franklin County Commission during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Franklin County Commission members Dave Schatz, left, Paul Overschmidt, center, and Ken Cox listen as data center developer Ryan Sanders, with Beltline Energy, addresses them during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
A truck with a sign opposing data center development is parked at East Central College were the Franklin County Commission held a public meeting about data center development at on Monday, May 18, 2026. Hundreds of people attended the meeting.
Community members listen to comments are made to the Franklin County Commission about data center development during a public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Joe Eversmeyer, from Pacific, addresses the Franklin County Commission about his opposition to a data center development during public meeting at East Central College on Monday, May 18, 2026. Eversmeyer lives two miles from the proposed Beltline data center development.
