As artificial intelligence data centers expand across North America, the potential for development in rural Southern Missouri is generating community concern over the facilities' heavy electricity and water demands.
Oregon County landowner Charles McCullough recently partnered with Nations Media Partners—a Kansas City-based technology and infrastructure advisory and brokerage firm—to market 226 acres along Highway 142 west of Thayer for potential data center construction. Nations Media Partners acknowledged in an email to the Quill that it receives compensation upon a completed sale and is "not a neutral party."
McCullough said he initially listed the property for general commercial sale several months ago before recognizing that transmission power lines running through the acreage could make it viable for data center development. The property also sits above the Ozark Aquifer, offering potential water resources for cooling systems. McCullough publicly disclosed the listing details and launched a dedicated website in what he described as an effort toward transparency given surrounding controversies.
Currently, Oregon County has no countywide zoning regulations. McCullough said he favors written standards to provide certainty for potential buyers, supporting efforts by Oregon County District 2 Associate Commissioner Jake Parker to establish local guidelines.
Parker announced he is preparing to present the three-member County Commission with a 30-page draft ordinance regulating "industrial technology facilities." The proposed ordinance aims to establish enforceable limits on noise, light spill, electromagnetic fields and aquifer protections. Parker noted the county is working closely with legal counsel to ensure the measure complies with Missouri statutory limits for third-class counties without exposing taxpayers to developer lawsuits.
Parker assured residents county leadership is acting proactively.
"We're not jumping into anything without an educated guess," Parker said in an interview.
In public statements, Parker clarified that while he opposes data center development on health and environmental grounds, the commission's authority is legally distinct from water withdrawal permitting—managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources—and electric grid allocations, managed by local utilities. He added that he would not dictate to private landowners who they can sell their property to.
Nations Media Partners advisor Matt Rice argued that technological advancements are rapidly improving efficiency in cooling and electrical systems, with McCullough adding that "the technology industry is evolving at a rapid rate."
Industry proponents often point to U.S. Department of Energy trends showing large-scale sites achieving Power Usage Effectiveness scores as low as 1.03—with 1.0 representing zero overhead energy waste—while tech conglomerates like Amazon and Microsoft have pledged "water-positivity" by funding offsite wastewater treatment. However, water recycling typically occurs offsite, meaning its distribution benefit depends on the operating company rather than the immediate community drawing the water.
Rice also asserted that heavy, continuous power loads help stabilize energy grids by maintaining predictable baseload demand. However, energy analysts note that large industrial loads in rural areas can strain existing transmission infrastructure if capacity isn't pre-funded by the developer.
The listing site notes a realistic initial phase of 2 to 4 megawatts, clarifying that higher figures such as 26 megawatts originated from outside research and have not been confirmed or studied by local providers Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative, Sho-Me Power or Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. No formal utility studies or service applications have been filed to date.
Community pushback has intensified following a Sept. 17 town hall at Thayer High School. An online petition titled “Halt data center construction in Oregon County, Missouri,” started by local resident Melissa Burton, has gathered more than 1,500 signatures. On the property's public site, McCullough’s team addressed community opposition directly, confirming that when asked at the town hall whether sufficient public resistance would cause him to reconsider selling to a data center buyer, McCullough responded, "True."
In an official joint response sent to petition organizers Sept. 24, Presiding Commissioner David Stubblefield, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Morgan and District 2 Commissioner Jake Parker stated: "We, the Oregon County Commission, hear your concerns and take them very seriously. We are diligently researching what our options are to protect the health and wellbeing of Oregon County citizens without opening our county up to lawsuits... To our knowledge, at this time, there is no expressed interest from data centers on the property advertised."
As of late September, no purchase offers or developer contracts are under consideration, and the property remains open for general commercial sale.
