A Sept. 15 trip to Altoona, Iowa gave about 50 Warren and Montgomery county officials and business leaders a first-hand look at a Meta data center as both counties weigh potential projects.
The participants included government and business leaders from Warren and Montgomery counties as both those counties have potential data center projects looking to locate within their borders. In Warrenton, a data center is considering property north of the Warrenton West interchange, though no formal proposal has been submitted.
The Record spoke to several of those who went on the trip about their observations, which were generally very positive regarding a potential data center being placed within the two counties.
Each of the participants we spoke to during separate interviews over the last couple of weeks went to the facility seeking answers to some of the questions posed by community members who have concerns on a variety of issues including electricity rates, water usage, and noise and light pollution.
Greater Warren County Economic Development Council member Jeff Culbertson said that one of his goals in going on the tour was to gather facts over the fiction circulating about the project. One of the items he had heard a lot about was the sound level of such facilities. So much so that he decided to download a decibel app on his phone to test the levels. Culbertson said that during the trip over on the bus to Altoona he regularly registered 90 decibels, but when he stepped off the bus, he was floored that the reading was only around 45 decibels. He said the loudest thing those assembled heard at the facility was a lawnmower cutting the grass outside.
Others also commented about the lack of sound coming from the Meta facility.
Jonesburg Mayor Bob Sellenriek specifically referenced the lack of sound and the lawnmower.
“There is absolutely zero noise,” Montgomery City Administrator/Clerk Steve Deves said, also referencing that the only sound came from a lawnmower.
“When we were outside the bus all I could hear were crickets and lawnmowers,” Truesdale Mayor Jerry Cannon said.
Warrenton Mayor Eric Schleuter also referenced hearing crickets chirping while on site as well as the sound of the lawnmower, but nothing from the facility itself while standing right outside.
Water usage
One of the other primary concerns brought up by those who oppose the data center is water usage.
Wright City School Board member Kyle Lewis said the five-million-square-foot Meta facility in Iowa uses up to 300,000 gallons of water a day, but only on the hottest days of the year. He noted that the facility had its own water tower.
Culbertson said that the highest water usage only occurs on 12 days of the year, according to Meta staff. He also said that the water used by the facility is non-potable water. He also noted that one of the stated goals of the facility is to be water positive within the next 10 years.
Sellenriek said that Meta staff told those on the tour that company stopped watering their lawn because they were using more water there than they were using to cool the facility.
GWCEDC member Jim Schuchman said that Meta staff told those in attendance that the facility does its best to recycle the water it uses at the facility.
Deves said that based upon information provided by Meta, their facility uses a completely different aquifer than the one the city of Altoona uses, that is drilled much deeper than the city’s supplies. He also noted that their water usage is less than that used by the city.
In an emailed letter sent to two news organizations, Deves said the following:
“They stated that the 14 large buildings combined use an average of around only 325,000 gallons of water per day, which is way less than we anticipated. To put in perspective, the City of Montgomery uses about 400,000 gallons of water per day for all of our residences and businesses combined and our three water treatment plants can produce about 1,300,000 gallons of water per day. So, we could easily handle two of these operations here ourselves if necessary.
Electric usage
With respect to electricity usage one of the facts that was discussed by Meta officials is that there is a substation on the campus of the facility in Altoona, which was a cooperative agreement between Meta and the local power company there, according to Cannon. He even referenced that they were considering a mini-nuclear power plant to create more energy on the site.
Several of those interviewed discussed the state’s recent passage of Senate Bill 4 which would require any data center coming into the area to pay for its own infrastructure. Lewis specifically said that he felt Ameren could do a better job of explaining this issue to the community. He said based upon conversations held during the trip, Ameren already has a plan for electric usage for the proposed data centers, which would require those companies to pay a premium rate for the electricity they use.
In his emailed letter, Deves said in referring to Ameren representatives who were on the trip with them, “They (Ameren officials) state that the Missouri Legislature has passed Senate Bill 4 recently, which made it where these new large projects have to pay for their own electric construction costs and they cannot be passed onto the current users as is being portrayed by the social media misinformation patrons.”
Economic impact
The economic impact of the Meta project in Altoona is probably one of the primary discussion points for local officials.
Schleuter said that he spoke personally with Altoona Mayor Dean O’Connor, who was originally against the project, but as he learned more about it he changed his mind. Meta built two water towers at its own cost and then donated them to the city.
Lewis spoke at length about Meta’s work in the community. He said the company has given over $4 million to the community over the last several years. Lewis said he felt that a development of the size being discussed in Warren County could be of significant benefit in the form of tax revenues and other revenues to the corresponding government entities.
Sellenriek also spoke about the positive benefit to any community that could be achieved through data centers.
“Do you realize what this can do for our schools and fire districts,” he said. Sellenriek discussed the economic benefit in his own community with CertainTeed, and the eventual tax rates to be achieved by that development. He noted that a project like the data center could raise school revenues to an unbelievable rate in Warrenton.
Cannon, as a former educator, also spoke specifically about the revenue potential for the Warren County R-III School District.
“How big would it be for our school districts,” he said, noting that such an increase could prevent the loss of teachers to better paying districts.
“We could retain teachers and pay a living wage and add things like more STEM programs,” he said.
Deves said specifically in Montgomery City, the taxes the city receives haven’t really gone up much in 29 years. He noted that while assessments continue to increase, the state requirements normally force the rates down, so there is not a lot of additional money gained. He noted that due to the Meta facility, Altoona had significant resources for a number of projects and that the community was continuing to grow economically as a result.
“If I could design the perfect community investment business, it would be what I saw that day,” Deves said of his trip to Altoona.
