Project Overview
What is the size of the project, and what options did you consider?
Corporate Spin
"We listened to the community and made improvements. We downsized from 12 buildings to just 4 single-story buildings."
Reality Check
The 4-building layout was always the baseline design. They floated a massive 1-gigawatt, 12-building "worst-case" scenario early on so they could look like benevolent compromise-makers when scaling back to what they wanted all along.
Who is the end-user / tenant of the data center?
Corporate Spin
"We have interest from a lot of users! We will share that information at the appropriate time."
Reality Check
Total secrecy. By refusing to name the actual tech giant backing the project, they completely shield the ultimate end-user from local accountability regarding power grid and water consumption.
Economic Benefits
How does Festus benefit?
Corporate Spin
"More than $6 billion in private investment, $40 million over 10 years in community benefit payments, and no real estate property tax abatements."
Reality Check
This completely glosses over the heavy personal property tax abatements phased down over 25 years and the secret bond packages handled through the Jefferson County Port Authority.
Oversight & Accountability
What independent agencies regulate this project?
Corporate Spin
"Multiple independent agencies review everything, including the PSC, MISO, DNR, EPA, and the City of Festus."
Reality Check
They leave out the fact that developer CRG actually *wrote* the initial data center ordinances on behalf of the city, and legacy city leadership coordinated backroom meetings designed to evade public quorum laws.
Water, Energy & Sound
How will this project impact the community's water?
Corporate Spin
"It's a closed-loop cooling system. It reuses water and produces zero discharge. No private wells will be used."
Reality Check
Leaked engineering reports (such as the Horner & Shifrin study) prove the Jefferson County Water Authority is already struggling to keep up with regional demands. The figures were hidden behind confidentiality agreements for a reason.
Are there any plans for on-site power generation?
Corporate Spin
"All power comes through Ameren Missouri. There is no power plant—only backup generators for outages and testing."
Reality Check
"Backup generators" means an immense industrial array of diesel-burning engines running under heavy loads during grid stress, pushing noise and requiring major air permits that lack transparent local oversight.