Montgomery County Data Centers — Google Project Spade, AWS Project Green

Data Center Risk

77/100

Very High

Why Montgomery County is Very High risk

Score calculated from four factors: power infrastructure, water capacity, land availability, and current exposure (known projects in the county). Montgomery scores 77/100.

Power availability

16/30

Ameren Missouri. MO PSC approved large-load rate structure Dec 2025. AWS says no new generating facility needed. Both projects get Ameren-owned + applicant-owned substations.

Water capacity

13/15

Missouri River / Loutre River. AWS: air-cooled 92% of year, wells 600+ ft deep. Google: closed-loop air-cooled.

Land availability

13/15

Nearly 2,000 acres of farmland targeted across 2 projects. Rural county (pop 11K) with abundant open land.

Current exposure

35/40

2 confirmed hyperscale projects: Google Project Spade (780 acres) and AWS Project Green (1,000 acres). Combined $8.5B+ investment.

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.

2 active projects

Google (Project Spade)

Confirmed Jan. 2026
Developer: Related Digital

Google Site

780 acres Montgomery Co.
+ 130 acres New Florence

Google Buildings

2 buildings at ~800,000 sq ft
(amended from 3)

Google Cooling

Closed-loop air-cooled

Google Contact

Trystine Payfer
Regional Head, DC Public Affairs

AWS (Project Green)

Under Review
Developer: NorthPoint Development

AWS Site

1,000 acres
Hudson Rd & Ellis Rd, New Florence

AWS Buildings

Up to 21 buildings in 2 phases
Min. $8.5 billion investment

AWS Water

Air-cooled 92% of year
Wells 600+ ft deep, $5M+ investment

The Full Story

Two campuses, one interchange.

Google Data Center (Project Spade)

Confirmed January 2026

Southeast quadrant of I-70/Highway 19 interchange. Google Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs Trystine Payfer confirmed the project in January 2026. Developer is Related Digital (New York). Site plan originally called for 3 buildings at 1.08M sq ft each, amended to 2 buildings at ~800,000 sq ft. Closed-loop air-cooled system. Infrastructure includes Ameren-owned substation + applicant-owned substation, security guard station, visitor center, pump house, water filtration building, 2 on-site wells.

Amazon Web Services (Project Green)

Under Review

Northeast quadrant, corner of Hudson Road and Ellis Road. AWS VP of Public Policy Shannon Kellogg confirmed Amazon ownership. NorthPoint Development is the project developer. Phase 1: 8 buildings. Phase 2: 13 buildings. Total: up to 21 data center buildings. Minimum capital investment: $8.5 billion. Power from Ameren Missouri via existing grid — no new generating facility required per AWS. AWS will pay for new substations and turn them over to Ameren. Water: direct evaporative cooling used less than 8% of the year (29.2 days) due to Missouri climate. Wells drilled 600+ feet deeper than any residential well. $5M+ in on-site water infrastructure. System twice as efficient as industry average. 150+ permanent jobs at avg $85,000. Community investment: $1.5M in 2026 to replace county 911 system, $1.5M in 2027 for county needs, NorthPoint contributing $3M in 2026.

Timeline

How we got here.

Late 2025

Two campuses surface near the I-70 / Highway 19 interchange. Montgomery County Planning & Zoning receives administrative-review filings for two adjacent data center campuses outside New Florence. Project Green (Amazon Web Services, ~1,000 acres, up to 17 buildings, $8.5B+ minimum capital investment) is filed via NorthPoint Development, LLC. Project Spade (~780 acres in the county plus 130 acres in New Florence, three 1.08M sq ft buildings) is filed by New York-based Spade Property Owners, LLC. End user undisclosed.

November 21, 2025

County confirms zoning compliance, schedules town hall. Commissioners issue a press release confirming the projects meet existing zoning and require no conditional use permits. A public town hall is scheduled for December 8 at Montgomery City Elementary School.

December 8, 2025

Several hundred residents pack town hall. An estimated 400 residents — in a county where Montgomery City has under 2,900 people and New Florence under 700 — fill the Montgomery City Elementary School. Concerns center on water (most residents use well water), noise and light pollution, utility rates, NDAs signed by commissioners, and lack of public participation. Residents push for a moratorium.

December 18, 2025

County Commission unanimously approves AWS tax abatement framework. Commissioners vote 3-0 to approve the cost-benefit analysis and tax-abatement framework for Project Green. AWS's real property tax contributions are projected at $326 million to $1.5 billion over the life of the project. Construction could begin as early as January 2026 if all approvals land.

January 12, 2026

Public comment hearing on AWS Project Green. Half a dozen residents speak at a Montgomery County Commission public comment session — both for and against. AWS confirms minimum 4 buildings (max 17), $8.5B+ investment, ~150 jobs at $85,000 average salary. Power from Ameren Missouri; water from on-site deep wells.

Q1 2026

Property closings expected. Property closings on both Project Green and Project Spade are anticipated in the first quarter of 2026. Building permit applications are the next step.

What It Means

For residents near New Florence.

Water

AWS says its facility will be air-cooled 92% of the year and will drill wells 600+ feet deep with a $5 million investment in on-site water infrastructure. Google's Project Spade uses closed-loop air-cooled with no continuous water draw.

Community investment

AWS committed $1.5 million in 2026 to replace Montgomery County's 911 system, $1.5 million in 2027 for other county needs. NorthPoint contributing $3 million in 2026. The Ambulance District and Fire District opted out of Chapter 100 and keep full tax allocations.

Scale

AWS Project Green: 1,000 acres, up to 17 buildings, $8.5B+ minimum capital investment
Project Spade: 780 acres in county + 130 acres in New Florence city limits, three 1.08M sq ft buildings
Each Spade building is larger than 15 football fields
Combined: nearly 2,000 acres in a county of 11,000 people

Transparency

County commissioners signed NDAs before public hearings and have not released the developer agreements in full. Steve Jeffery — the same attorney representing Festus residents in their suit against CRG — also represents Montgomery County residents in a parallel suit alleging Sunshine Law violations.

Sources

Reporting we relied on.

What you can do

Two campuses proposed in early 2026. Get on record before the P&Z vote.

Two data center campuses are proposed near New Florence at the I-70 interchange. Public hearings are upcoming. We research your commissioners, write a personalized letter citing Missouri statutes and the project filings, and email it to every commissioner on your behalf.

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Montgomery County