Key developments
Google commits $15B to Missouri data center
Google announced a $15 billion data center buildout in New Florence, Montgomery County, Missouri, alongside Gov. Mike Kehoe and local officials. The company said the project will create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs, and that it has already contracted more than 1 gigawatt of new generation in Missouri while supporting another 500 megawatts with Ameren. Google also said the state law framework requires it to cover 100% of the electricity used and any new infrastructure costs tied to the facility.
Why it matters
It is one of the largest fresh AI infrastructure commitments and a model for how utilities and states are pricing large-load growth.
Sources & driving stories
GOVERNOR OF MISSOURI
Governor of Missouri coverageYAHOO · Charles Kennedy
Yahoo coverageOhio data center tax break costs surge
New Ohio Department of Taxation data show the state's data center sales tax exemption cost about $554.9 million in 2024 and $1.5687 billion in 2025, far above the original $136 million estimate. Local sales tax losses added another $166.8 million in 2024. The figures arrive as Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed an attempt to end the exemption, House Speaker Matt Huffman signaled interest in an override, and lawmakers formed a special committee to review the sector's impacts.
Why it matters
The cost jump strengthens pressure to rein in one of the country's most expensive data center incentives.
Sources & driving stories
SIGNAL OHIO
Signal Ohio coveragexAI plans $2.8B more turbine purchases
SpaceX's filing says xAI will spend another $2.8 billion on turbines over the next three years, including a $2 billion order for mobile gas turbines. WIRED reported that xAI's Colossus 2 site in Mississippi added 19 portable turbines over two months, bringing the total to 46, while the NAACP is suing over alleged unpermitted turbine use and pollution near Memphis. SpaceX also said it had more than $14 billion in construction in progress tied in part to data center equipment.
Why it matters
It shows AI data centers leaning on temporary fossil power as grid access and permitting lag behind demand.
Sources & driving stories
WIRED
WIRED coverageTECHCRUNCH · Tim De Chant
TechCrunch coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Seattle proposes one-year data ban
Seattle City Council members advanced a moratorium and study package after five large-scale data center proposals surfaced, signaling rising resistance in a major tech hub.
WORTH NOTING
Duke plans 1.5 MW campus data center
The project would likely be exempt from Durham's coming hyperscale restrictions, highlighting how institutional onsite facilities can be carved out from broader bans.
WORTH NOTING
Utah governor criticizes Box Elder rollout
Spencer Cox's comment that the project's rollout 'was not good' shows political backlash is still growing around the 40,000-acre Stratos proposal.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will Ohio lawmakers override the veto?
The latest cost data make the political case for repeal or narrowing much stronger, but the votes are still unsettled.
OPEN QUESTION
How broad will Seattle's ban become?
The council must decide whether to target only large-scale projects or also create carve-outs for onsite institutional data centers.