Data center projects by Google and Amazon in Montgomery County, Missouri are advancing — and drawing fierce local debate — as the two companies build on opposite sides of Interstate 70. The campuses together cover about 1,900 acres along I-70, east of New Florence and west of High Hill, sparking reactions ranging from approval and curiosity to outright hostility.

Amazon Web Services’ Project Green sits north of the interstate, while Google’s Project Spade is visible to the south from I-70, replacing a tree farm that is relocating to Jonesburg. Facilities like these store and process digital data — from websites and email to streaming, cloud storage and, increasingly, artificial intelligence services. Missouri has 91 active data centers of varying sizes, with at least 14 more in development. Another project stirring tension is Project Jupiter in New Mexico, a $165 billion development where residents worry water demand could squeeze local agriculture.

Amazon strengthens its Missouri commitment

In response to questions from Construction Review Online, Amazon shared details of a fresh commitment announced on 15 June 2026. The company told Construction Review Online that its new Montgomery County data center campus represents a $10 billion investment, alongside more than $7 million in community contributions; its public announcement describes the project as a multibillion-dollar investment expected to create over 400 full-time data center jobs and thousands of construction jobs, and to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue for the county.

The $7 million-plus in community contributions includes $3 million toward local emergency dispatch services, more than $1 million for a new community gathering space at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, and over $3 million for programs spanning STEM education, skills development, sustainability and local nonprofits. Amazon is also funding roadway improvements and a new bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railway on Ellis Road, and will build water infrastructure that it intends to donate to the Montgomery County Public Water Supply District once construction is complete. The company says it has worked with utility Ameren Missouri so that the campus’s energy costs are not passed on to other ratepayers.

Outlook on the Google and Amazon projects

Amazon’s Project Green is a multi-phase hyperscale campus covering roughly 1,000 acres north of I-70; earlier Montgomery County cost/benefit analyses had referenced a far larger long-term build-out of up to $35 billion and as many as 21 data center buildings. Google’s Project Spade, south of I-70, carries an initial announced investment of $15 billion, and county analyses suggest its equipment investment could eventually reach $87.5 billion over the life of the project. (A previously circulated combined figure of around $122 billion conflated these separate projections and is not an accurate single total.)

Construction is already under way. Amazon’s project microsite records that construction commenced on 1 April 2026, with adjacent roadway improvements due to begin in summer 2026. Both campuses have received official approval from local authorities.

Opposition and resource concerns

Opposition is not universal, but it is becoming more common across Missouri, with mixed results. While the two Montgomery County campuses were approved, a separate proposal in Festus drew angry residents who voted four city council members out of office and launched a recall effort against the mayor, citing environmental impacts and the water and electricity the facilities consume.

Amazon has sought to address the water question directly. The company says its data centers use “free air cooling” about 90% of the time, drawing in outside air rather than water, and anticipates using water for cooling roughly 7% of the year or less at this site. At full capacity, it says the campus will use less than 0.1% of the local aquifer’s annual rainfall recharge, supplemented by a rainwater harvesting system designed to supply about 20% of annual water needs, with water reused six times on site. Amazon has also pledged to be “water positive” in its data center operations by 2030 and is funding an irrigation-efficiency project with Arable Labs that it expects to cut local water use by 100 million gallons a year.

Project Factsheet

• Project names: Project Green (Amazon Web Services) and Project Spade (Google)
• Location: Montgomery County, Missouri, USA — along Interstate 70, east of New Florence and west of High Hill
• Project type: Hyperscale data center campuses
• Combined footprint: Approximately 1,900 acres (Project Green roughly 1,000 acres north of I-70; Project Spade south of I-70)
• Amazon (Project Green): New campus announced at $10 billion (June 2026), with more than $7 million in community contributions; earlier county projections referenced up to $35 billion and as many as 21 buildings over the full build-out
• Google (Project Spade): $15 billion initial investment; county analyses project equipment investment up to $87.5 billion over the project’s life
• Jobs (Amazon): Over 400 full-time data center roles, plus thousands of construction jobs
• Tax revenue (Amazon): Projected hundreds of millions of dollars for Montgomery County
• Construction status: Amazon construction commenced 1 April 2026; adjacent roadway improvements due summer 2026; both projects approved
• Key stakeholders: Amazon Web Services, Google, Montgomery County officials and economic development authorities, local residents and community advocacy groups
• Opposition: Concerns over environmental impact, water use and electricity demand; political backlash in other Missouri communities such as Festus
• Context: Missouri hosts 91 active data centers, with at least 14 more in development