Missouri voters oust council member amid backlash to planned AI data center

Voters in Independence, Mo., recalled longtime City Council member John Perkins after he backed more than $6 billion in tax breaks for a proposed AI data center by Dutch firm Nebius—part of a $150 billion project tied to a refurbished power plant. Nearly 70% supported removal, reflecting mounting local opposition to data centers’ subsidies, water and power demands, and neighborhood impacts. Two other council members who supported the incentives lost in April, signaling broader political risks ahead of November’s midterms as data infrastructure becomes a flash point. The fight has galvanized activists—one Facebook group opposing the project claims 115,000 members—and drawn national attention as Republicans and Democrats calibrate positions. Former President Donald Trump has urged communities to embrace data centers, putting some GOP candidates at odds with local resistance.

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