Missouri’s governor will not call a special legislative session on data centers.
State Rep. Don Mayhew (R-Crocker) and at least 15 of his House colleagues want to see a special session. Governor Mike Kehoe (R) joined hosts Randy Tobler and Stephanie Bell live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Missouri”:
“We have already done what we can do to put guardrails around any major electric user across the state. Whether it’s a data center, a widget manufacturer or an automotive plant,” the governor tells listeners.
Governor Kehoe is referring to Senate Bill 4, saying it ensures that large energy users pay for what they are going to use. The governor says that SB 4 was bipartisan and had support from consumer groups and large industrial users.
Governor Kehoe also tells listeners that decisions on data centers are local decisions made by local elected officials.
Representative Mayhew says residents across Missouri are worried about the strain that data centers can place on water resources, electrical infrastructure and quality of life.
You can listen to the full “Wake Up” interview with Governor Kehoe here.