May 3, 2026
Missouri Data Centers.
Est. 2026 · Independent
Tracking every proposed hyperscale data center across Missouri's 114 counties and St. Louis City.
Missouri / Jefferson County
County Report

Jefferson County

Wake Up JeffCo LLC and four property owners filed a 12-count, 54-page lawsuit against the city of Festus and developer CRG (subsidiary of Clayco). Officials described opponents as “a sideshow of uneducated people” in text messages. All 4 incumbent council members ousted on April 7. Council member Staci Templeton resigned. Mayor recall petition underway.

Pop. 226,242 · St. Louis Metro · County seat: Hillsboro Last updated May 3, 2026
Update — April 24, 2026: Attorney Steve Jeffery says five-year window to stop the project. Case assigned to Judge Ellen W. Dunne. Bob Clark (Clayco founder) says CRG will “aggressively defend” its rights.
Data Center Risk
83/100
Very High

Why Jefferson County is Very High risk

Score calculated from four factors: power infrastructure, water capacity, land availability, and current exposure (known projects in the county). Jefferson scores 83/100.

Power availability
28/30

Ameren Missouri service territory. No dedicated power plant identified — CRG has not disclosed power source for the $6B facility.

Water capacity
13/15

Mississippi River / Meramec River access. CRG has contractual right to drill private wells from same aquifer as Glenkee Court residents.

Land availability
8/15

360 acres north of US-67. Rezoned from residential despite 300+ formal complaints.

Current exposure
34/40

Active project with lawsuit filed. All 4 council members ousted. Developer says rights are vested.

This score is comparative, based on publicly available data across Missouri's 115 counties. Methodology: how we calculate it.
At a Glance

The facts, as filed.

1 active project
Project Name
CRG Festus Data Center
Site Size
360 acres
Investment
$6 billion
Developer
CRG Acquisition LLC
(subsidiary of Clayco, St. Louis)
Founder
Bob Clark
End Operator
Not publicly identified
Water Plan
Right to drill private wells
from same aquifer as neighbors
Status
Lawsuit filed
12 counts, 54 pages
Election Result
All 4 incumbents ousted April 7
Timeline

How we got here.

Aug. 2025
Secret meetings begin. City officials begin conversations with CRG. Lawsuit alleges meetings were not disclosed.
Oct. 1, 2025
Text messages. Official notes annexation sign won’t draw attention because “driving highway speed doesn’t give a person a lot of time to read the sign.”
Nov. 2025
Rezoning approved 6-2.
Feb.–March 2026
“Sideshow of uneducated people.” Officials describe opponents in text messages obtained through records requests.
March 30, 2026
Infrastructure Development Agreement approved at special meeting. Public comment limited to 2 hours, cutting off registered speakers. Crowd shouts “Cowards!”
April 7, 2026
All 4 incumbents ousted. Karl Weekley (W1), Allen McCarthy (W2), Dan Moore (W3), Rick Belleville (W4) elected on anti-data center platforms. Recall petition signatures collected at polls.
April 8, 2026
54-page lawsuit filed. Wake Up JeffCo LLC, Sherman Doyle, Vernon & Sharon Valish, Rozilyn Daniels. Attorney Steve Jeffery. 12 counts including Sunshine Law violations, civil conspiracy, due process.
April 12, 2026
Templeton resigns. Ward 2 council member Staci Templeton steps down after 5 years.
April 14, 2026
Clark press conference. “I don’t think they can cancel the project. Our rights are vested.” CRG will “aggressively defend.”
What It Means

For residents near the proposed site.

Water

The Infrastructure Development Agreement gives CRG the right to drill private wells if Festus municipal water cannot meet demand. These wells would draw from the same aquifer beneath Glenkee Court, where the plaintiffs live. More than 300 residents filed formal complaints requesting independent hydrogeological assessments. The city has not responded to any.

Transparency

The lawsuit alleges officials briefed council members in groups of three to stay below the quorum threshold. Gov. Mike Kehoe was described in outlets as willing to lobby planning commissioners. A PAC backed by labor unions spent nearly $40,000 late in the race on pro-data center ads.

Dan Moore, newly elected Ward 3: “People are awake now, and we’re not going to let this continue on anymore.”

The election

All four incumbent Festus city council members who voted for the data center deal were ousted in the April 2026 municipal election. The new council can cancel the development agreement with 15 days' notice and refund any developer money received. CRG founder Bob Clark says the company's rights are "vested" and pledges to "aggressively defend" them in court.

The money

Festus city attorney Brian Malone says the deal generates $1.3 billion in city revenue over time, mostly from utility taxes tied to the facility's energy demand. Recent agreement changes added an extended buyout timeline for homeowners within 1,000 feet of an active building, and capped maximum daily water usage.

Sources

Reporting we relied on.

What you can do

Festus rezoning is contested. Make sure commissioners count your opposition.

Wake Up JeffCo LLC has filed a 12-count, 54-page lawsuit against the city of Festus and developer CRG. The fight isn't over. We research your commissioners, write a personalized letter citing Missouri Sunshine Law and the rezoning record, and email it directly to every commissioner.

Send my letter

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