When the St. Louis Board of Public Service approved a conditional use permit for a data center in Midtown, it propelled the city into a debate that has stoked enormous passion around the country and throughout the St. Louis region.
St. Louis Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer said she’s seen these big reactions firsthand. She said on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” that some of the fiercest opponents of data centers live in her south St. Louis-based 1st Ward. She said she also represents people trying to make the data center a reality.
“I think the No. 1 concern people have around data centers is the environmental impact of data centers — as well as things like, will these affect their utility bills? Will they affect how much they’re paying for energy, and what energy needs exist within the grid?” Schweitzer said. “And then there’s things like the tax revenue, the jobs created, the ability for a data center to create vibrancy, or make vibrancy go away in areas if they’re done poorly. So there’s just so many different things to think about.”…