As Missouri counties continue evaluating how to respond to the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centers and other large-load digital infrastructure projects, many local governments are increasingly turning to temporary moratoriums and zoning reviews while they study the issue further.
Recent concerns across Missouri have focused on the large infrastructure needs created by hyperscale facilities, including high power use, substations, backup generators, construction traffic, lighting, noise, and nearby land-use impacts.
Several Missouri counties have already begun reviewing or updating zoning ordinances related to data centers and digital asset mining operations. Caldwell County, Missouri, has emerged as one of the more notable rural examples after adopting zoning amendments specifically addressing data centers and digital asset mining through a megawatt-based review framework.
The issue has also drawn growing attention from statewide county organizations. Earlier this year, the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) held a Local Government Data Center Summit focused on zoning, infrastructure impacts, legal authority, and the challenges large-load digital infrastructure projects may create for local governments.
At the state level, guidance remains limited. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has indicated that it does not currently maintain a specific regulatory definition for data centers and generally does not regulate local zoning compatibility issues such as sound, lighting, or land-use placement. As a result, many counties are increasingly viewing local zoning authority as the primary mechanism for reviewing these facilities.
In Clinton County, officials recently adopted a temporary moratorium on data-center applications while reviewing whether targeted zoning updates may be appropriate. The county already possesses an existing industrial zoning and Special Use Permit framework, but questions remain regarding whether current ordinances adequately address the unique infrastructure intensity associated with hyperscale and large-load digital infrastructure projects.
A recently completed independent review of Missouri third-class county zoning approaches concluded that counties may not need entirely new regulatory systems to address the issue. Instead, the review suggests that many counties can strengthen existing zoning and Special Use Permit structures through clearer definitions, infrastructure disclosures, industrial district limitations, operational standards, and long-term oversight provisions tailored specifically to industrial-scale digital infrastructure.
Importantly, the review emphasizes that the goal is not to regulate ordinary business computing activity or prevent all technology development. Rather, the focus is preserving local land-use authority and ensuring that industrial-scale facilities receive discretionary review appropriate to their infrastructure and compatibility impacts.
A link to the full zoning review and recommendation framework appears below.
The South (Clinton) County Squawker
Updated May 23, 2026
Author: J. James
Opinion
Zoning for Data Centers in Clinton County
Email: cf385609@gmail.com
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