Residents press Warrenton officials for answers as proposed data center, power line draw scrutiny

Dozens of residents turned out at the Sept. 2 Warrenton Board of Aldermen meeting to press elected officials for information and local protections related to a proposed data center and a private transmission line route that developers say would deliver power to the site.

At issue are the developer’s planned 345-kilovolt connection from the existing Root Beer substation, an easement route through private properties, and a facility that developer materials and regional utility filings show could need roughly 200–250 megawatts of continuous power. Residents and local advocates said the city and county have not made clear how the project would affect groundwater, emergency response, noise and long-term electric rates.

Those concerns escalated during a long public-comment period at which multiple speakers described health, environmental and economic worries if a large data center is built without stronger local requirements. “No permits, no back‑room deals, complete transparency,” citizen Anna Farrar told the aldermen, urging a municipal ordinance to require city-level permitting, water and air safeguards, disclosure of monitoring data online and bonding to cover possible remediation costs.

Why it matters: evidence of regional planning and utility filings shows the Root Beer substation was listed as an interconnection node for a large solar build and later flagged in MISO and Ameren planning materials as hosting a 200‑megawatt data‑center load. Those same utility and regulatory processes are cited by residents as a reason for recent rate increases and as a vector by which local approvals could lead to wider infrastructure costs borne by ratepayers.

What officials said: City Administrator Brandy Walters said the city has not yet received a formal application from a developer and reiterated that the aldermen are receiving questions and compiling answers for the public. “There is still nothing submitted yet. So we don't have plans,” Walters said, adding that the city is asking the developer questions and will publish responses when available. Several aldermen also said they will request a formal briefing from the developer and from utilities once permit materials arrive.

Public concerns and evidence residents cited: Speakers described a range of local issues if the project proceeds as portrayed in developer and utility documents: - Water: multiple speakers, including nearby well owners, asked whether the center would use municipal water, sink deep wells, or ship water in by truck; experts and commenters warned of aquifer drawdown and requested monitoring and limits on withdrawals. - Power and rates: residents and local researchers cited Ameren investor slides and MISO planning documents that list new transmission work and identify large new loads feeding the Root Beer substation; several speakers tied recent residential bill increases to regional transmission and generation investments. - Noise and air: residents asked about cooling systems, backup generators and the potential for 24‑hour noise; one technical commenter urged strict limits on generator testing hours and noise at property lines. - Property values and health: a string of residents said they feared long‑term impacts to property values and community health, citing other U.S. sites where community complaints followed large energy or industrial builds.

What residents want: Requests included a 12‑month moratorium on approvals while the city conducts an impact study, a city ordinance requiring local resource‑use permits for high‑energy digital facilities, mandatory public posting of monitoring data, bonding for remediation, and that developers carry the cost of grid and water infrastructure rather than shifting costs to ratepayers.

Officials' next steps: Walters and other city staff said they will collect the public’s questions, ask the developer for written responses, coordinate with legal counsel about annexation and zoning questions raised in public comments, and ask the developer to present formally to the board. Walters also said she would ask the city attorney to review whether any nondisclosure agreements exist that limit public disclosure by consultants or outside advisers.

Context and background: Multiple speakers, including the citizen speaker who compiled the timeline presented to the board, cited public filings and regional planning documents (MISO planning records and Ameren investor materials) that show interconnection work identified at Root Beer substation and earlier approvals for large solar projects in the area. Those documents, residents said, show how transmission and generation work and private load planning can move before or alongside local permitting for a specific building.

The meeting did not include a formal developer presentation or a submitted site plan; no permit or zoning decision was made. City officials said formal processes will occur if and when a permit or application is filed.