Data center developer sues city after requiring company to supply renewable energy on-site
Por Rachel Dobkin — – World RSS Feed
Data center developer sues city after requiring company to supply renewable energy on-site
Critics of the data center in St. Louis, Missouri, worry about its water usage, the impact on the city’s air quality and utility costs
Rachel Dobkin in New York Thursday 17 September 2026 22:05 BST
- Bookmark
- Comments Go to comments
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks
Close popover
Your support helps us to tell the story
Read more Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference. Read more
The developer of a proposed $3.1 billion data center in St. Louis, Missouri, has sued a board that handles city zoning after the five-member panel required the company to supply renewable energy on-site.
David Lambiaso, a partner at data center developer TerraWatt, claimed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the St. Louis Board of Adjustment imposed illegal conditions when it upheld a permit for the 120-megawatt facility in July, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reported on the filing.
The lawsuit argues that requiring his company to supply a minimum of 2.4 megawatts of renewable energy at the data center exceeds the board’s authority.
The rapid development of data centers across the country to power the AI boom has often led to friction between cities and developers, with locals citing environmental and quality of life concerns.
Some St. Louis residents have complained that the proposed data center in the Midtown neighborhood would use too much water, worsen air quality and raise utility costs, the Post-Dispatch reported.
open image in galleryLambiaso also claimed the renewable energy requirement is “practically impossible” given the size of the 11-acre site.
The Independent has reached out to TerraWatt and the St. Louis City Counselor’s Office for comment.
TerraWatt did agree to use renewable energy for at least 50 percent of the data center’s energy load within five years of the facility’s opening in a community benefits agreement.
That amounts to about 60 megawatts — far more than the 2.4 megawatts mandated by the board. But there are other ways to generate that energy, rather than producing it on site, such as buying power from energy providers.
open image in galleryLocal environmentalists have argued the community benefits agreement does not actually represent residents’ wishes.
Elyse Schaeffer with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment told local outlet KSDK, “I’m reluctant to call this a community benefits agreement at all because at base level a community benefits agreement should involve conversations with feedback from and input by community members. And that’s not the process that we saw happen with this.”
“‘Community Benefit Agreement’ — which community does it benefit? It should be called a Developers’ Benefit Agreement,” Kerry McCullen with the Eco-Socialist Green Party of Eastern Missouri told the outlet. “The community did not and does not consent to this. It is being forced upon us. It’s disgusting that we have no say in the matter.”
The St. Louis Board of Adjustment has also required aldermen to approve the community benefits agreement, which Lambiaso argued in the lawsuit exceeds the board and aldermen’s authority.
More about
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Most popular
Popular videos
Bulletin
Read next
Fonte: – World RSS Feed
