Missouri is poised to join the ranks of major data center hubs, with Amazon and Google both announcing major investments in Montgomery County. Amazon plans to invest $10 billion in a new data center campus, while Google will invest $15 billion in a separate project, bringing the total value of recently announced hyperscale developments in the county to $25 billion.
The investments reflect a broader trend of hyperscale operators reaching beyond traditional data center markets in Virginia, Texas, and Arizona, which are increasingly constrained by power availability and space limitations. Missouri's available land, affordable power, and central location have made it an attractive alternative.
Beyond Traditional Markets
The Missouri investments are part of a broader geographic diversification of data center development. As traditional markets face power constraints, transmission bottlenecks, and growing community opposition, hyperscalers and developers are increasingly looking to new regions with available infrastructure capacity.
The Kansas City market has also seen significant growth, with Digital Realty acquiring 1,440 acres of land to support hyperscale development. The firm has entered into an Energy Service Agreement with the local utility for 600 MW of utility power by early 2028, with expected capacity of 2 GW at full delivery.
Economic Development Opportunity
For Missouri, the investments represent a major economic development opportunity. Data center construction creates significant direct employment, supports local supply chains, and expands the local tax base. The projects are expected to generate thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent operational positions.
However, the scale of the investments also raises questions about infrastructure capacity, ratepayer protection, and community engagement that Missouri will need to address. The state's approach to managing this growth will be closely watched by other emerging data center markets.
