Independence, Mo., is positioning itself at the forefront of the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with plans to reopen and drastically expand a long-dormant power facility to meet the energy needs of a new, billion-dollar AI data center campus. The project, anchored by European cloud computing firm Nebius, will transform the former Blue Valley Power Plant into a powerhouse capable of generating up to nine times more energy than it once did — enough to support cutting-edge AI workloads and bring significant economic activity to the region.
Nebius has announced plans to build its third — and largest — U.S. data center in Independence within the Eastgate Commerce Center, a 400-acre site east of Kansas City. The campus is expected to span roughly 2.5 million SF and include multiple buildings dedicated to high-density AI compute and storage. The full buildout could require at least 800 megawatts (MW) of power, roughly enough to supply hundreds of thousands of homes — a dramatic increase compared to the original plant’s roughly 90 MW capacity.
To supply electricity during the interim, the city is negotiating four separate energy contracts with third-party providers, including NextEra Energy and Evergy. These agreements allow Independence Power and Light to purchase power beginning in mid-2026 and pass costs through to Nebius, keeping local utility rates stable for residents and businesses…