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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Data Center Growth Meets Local Constraints
Coverage from Raleigh News & Observer, WRDW, and others
Amazon and Google are proposing or advancing multibillion-dollar data center projects in Missouri, including adjacent campuses in Montgomery County, while Amazon is pursuing a large facility in North Carolina.
The projects promise construction, operating jobs, and local contributions, but they also raise questions about tax abatements, electricity and grid infrastructure, water use, temporary generator emissions, and whether communities will bear associated costs. Missouri projects emphasize direct payment for power and infrastructure, while the North Carolina project is facing scrutiny over air-quality permits and backup generation.
Looking Back
102 Day Timeline
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History
09/17/2026
The story expands from Missouri and Georgia development to include a concrete North Carolina permitting dispute: Amazon received approval for hundreds of temporary generators, intensifying air-quality and community-cost concerns.
08/05/2026
The story is mostly stable, but the framing now more explicitly emphasizes Missouri cost-allocation rules, the concentrated industrial buildout near Interstate 70, and the addition of a Georgia ballot measure. These updates sharpen the regulatory and local-fiscal stakes rather than introducing a fundamentally new storyline.
All Articles35 articles
Important
North Carolina regulators issued permits in August 2026 for Amazon and Duke Energy to operate 649 generators at a Hamlet data center, despite public opposition over pollution.
8/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Columbia County officials outlined how two planned Google data centers in Harlem, Georgia, could support property-tax relief under House Bill 439 and restrictive covenants.
7/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
North Carolina officials approved permits in 2026 for Duke Energy and Amazon generators supporting Amazon's planned one-gigawatt data center near Hamlet, prompting local health and pollution concerns.
9/16/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Amazon is developing a $10 billion data center in Richmond County, North Carolina, while residents and environmental groups challenge related air permits and tax incentives.
8/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Preserve Montgomery County filed a March lawsuit as residents in Missouri questioned transparency and approvals for Google Project Spade and a nearby Amazon data center.
6/22/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Google announced a $15 billion data center project for Montgomery County, Missouri on May 22, 2026, supported by Ameren-backed new generation capacity and Senate Bill 4 compliance.
5/22/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Richmond County, North Carolina selected Amazon for a $10 billion phased data center campus, citing available Duke Energy power, transmission, and water capacity, with a first 2027 operations target.
7/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Interesting
Google announced a $15 billion New Florence, Missouri hyperscale data center investment, pairing advanced air cooling with more than 1 GW of generation contracting and workforce initiatives.
5/21/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Google is developing a two-site data center campus in Columbia County, Georgia, after more than a year of planning and public concern over environmental effects.
7/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Columbia County, Georgia officials announced Google will operate a White Oak Technology Park data center after years of preparation and amid prior resident opposition.
7/23/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Google will invest $1.5 billion in expanding its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus while contracting for 300 MW in the Tennessee Valley and targeting up to 50 MW of advanced nuclear power.
6/16/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Residents in Montgomery County, Missouri, seek public records amid Google and Amazon data center construction near New Florence and Ameren Missouri planning for the Montgomery-Callaway Connector transmission project.
6/16/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Residents organized at Montgomery City Public Library meetings in Montgomery County, Missouri, opposing AWS Project Green and Google Project Spade during 2020s construction along I-70.
6/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Montgomery County, Missouri residents challenge approvals for Google Project Spade and AWS Project Green after lawsuit filings over Sunshine Law and well-water impacts.
5/26/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Google announced a 15 billion dollar New Florence, Missouri data-center investment during a Montgomery County community celebration, linking major power procurement with air cooling and energy affordability plans.
5/25/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Bill Cope urged Montgomery County officials to reject a 25-year, 70% personal property tax abatement for a Google data center near New Florence, Missouri amid rising public opposition and planned transparency legislation.
7/2/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Amazon announced a $10 billion data center campus for June 15, 2026 in Montgomery County, Missouri, with Ameren Missouri electric service cost coverage and planned community and water-efficiency initiatives.
6/18/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Google announced a $1.5 billion Jackson County, Alabama, data center expansion planned for 2026-2027 alongside TVA power contracts and local energy affordability initiatives.
6/18/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Amazon will build a $10 billion data center in Montgomery County, Missouri, near I-70, with a June 23 public open house scheduled.
6/15/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Amazon plans a 10 billion dollar data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, after December 2025 tax abatement approval, amid a February lawsuit and a June 23 public open house.
6/15/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Google and Montgomery County officials announced a $15 billion data center near New Florence, with a June 8 hearing scheduled for a planned 70% personal property tax abatement.
5/24/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Google announced a $15 billion Missouri data center near New Florence and sought a proposed 70% equipment property tax abatement as Montgomery County scheduled a June 8 hearing.
5/22/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Google announced a $15 billion New Florence, Missouri data center investment, describing power cost protections under Senate Bill 4 and capacity support with Ameren and Evergy.
5/20/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Google announced a 1.5 billion expansion for its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus across 2026 and 2027, supported by new power capacity contracts, TVA coordination, and demand response.
6/15/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Google began construction in October on a phased West Memphis, Arkansas data center after land purchases, PILOT-backed bond financing, and industrial rezoning plans.
6/4/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Amazon announced a $10 billion data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, with Ameren Missouri cost allocation, community funding, and water line transfer plans.
6/16/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Amazon announced a multi-billion-dollar data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, aiming for 138 MW of carbon-free capacity and low-water cooling for AI infrastructure.
6/16/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Amazon announced a multi-billion-dollar Montgomery County, Missouri data center campus with outside-air cooling, water recycling plans, and planned local infrastructure upgrades.
6/16/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Google announced a $15 billion data center in Montgomery County, Missouri, next to an approved Amazon $35 billion facility, with Senate Bill 4 power-cost terms cited.
5/21/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Google announced a 15 billion USD data center planned for Montgomery County, Missouri, adjacent to an already approved Amazon 35 billion USD site, under Senate Bill 4 cost responsibility.
5/20/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Additional
Google was named sole end-user and operator for the Columbia County Data Center in Georgia in a July 23, 2026 announcement, after a 2025 regional impact filing and ongoing controversy.
7/24/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Google announced a 1.5 billion Jackson County, Alabama data center campus expansion on Monday, alongside power responsibility and local affordability programs.
6/16/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
About AmazonAmazon announced a multi-billion dollar data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, with Ameren Missouri power cost containment and low annual water use.
6/15/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Google announced a $1.5 billion AI data center expansion in Jackson County, Alabama, amid local concerns about electricity, water, and quality-of-life impacts.
6/18/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Amazon announced a 10 billion dollar data center campus for Montgomery City, Missouri, while residents questioned projected water and electricity use.
6/15/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General