Small Missouri town ousts half its city council after $6 billion AI data center approval — petition calls for mayor's removal as frustration (and violence) over AI data centers mounts

The small town of Festus, Missouri — a community made up of just under 14,000 people — has become a focal point over the growing backlash against AI data centers entering communities across the country. Following the approval of a $6 billion data center project, voters removed four of the eight members of the Festus city council, as well as started a petition to remove the remaining city council members and the mayor, reports Politico.

The approved project is set to occupy 360 acres of land with an unidentified developer. Residents filed a lawsuit against the city on Thursday, alleging that Festus didn't give the public enough time to review the proposal ahead of a decision, and that it made illegal rezoning decisions for the proposal. It also claims the city participated in private meetings concerning the project that should have been public.

The situation in Festus is a recent example, but several other instances of voter opposition to AI data centers have appeared in just the past few months. In February, the New Brunswick, New Jersey city council struck down an AI data center deal, instead using the 27,000-square feet of real estate to build a public park. In September 2025, Prince George's County in Maryland paused data center projects after community opposition and formed a task force to study the risks of AI data centers. And in St. Charles, Missouri, less than an hour's drive from Festus, there's a push to ban data centers in the area permanently.

Although there's been a growing tide of opposition through official channels like city council elections, more extreme instances of opposition are starting to appear. Just days ago, a 20-year-old man attempted to firebomb OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home in San Francisco. On Sunday, two additional people allegedly shot at Altman's home, leading to two arrests.

Opposition is one challenge AI data centers face, but according to recent reports, around half of all AI data center projects have been delayed or cancelled for a variety of reasons. Chief among them is electrical infrastructure, with lead times for high-power transformers ballooning from around two years to up to five years.

Festus is working against the approved data center, and the fight against AI data centers is still ongoing throughout the country. In Foristell, MO, a recent proposal to annex land into city limits met local opposition, under concerns the land would be used for data center development. The annexation was amended to keep the land's previous agricultural zoning. Interconnected Capital built a dashboard showing AI data center proposals across the country, as well as their current status.

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