Missouri is moving forward. The yard signs are coming down, the ads are off the air, and the phone has finally stopped buzzing with incoming text polls. Whatever you think of how the election turned out, all Missourians share a job that doesn’t change with the results: We must build an economy where our kids can find good work without leaving our state.

It’s time to do this right now, and we must be open to innovation. I’ll call it “the data center boom.” Regardless of your opinion, data centers are coming.

Missouri is landing the kind of investment that used to go to other states. We have plans underway to spend $10 billion on a new campus in Montgomery County, with 400 direct jobs and thousands of construction jobs expected. Google has announced a $15 billion investment in New Florence, which can be described as one of the largest economic development projects in state history. Over in Liberty, a $1.4 billion project is expected to bring at least 30 jobs with an average annual wage of about $95,649, plus hundreds of construction jobs. The best part? These are not part-time jobs or seasonal work; they are skilled, well-paid careers for electricians, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, and operators, the kind of work that keeps families rooted in Missouri.

The benefits multiply. Google says each direct job at one of its data centers supports nearly nine more jobs in the local economy, from construction to landscaping to logistics. If you ask any diner owner or hardware store manager in any of our rural counties, they will respond excitedly with more traffic, more sales, and more employment opportunities.

Think about the tax base. In Montgomery County, the project’s land used to bring in less than $9,000 a year in property taxes, while the finished campus is projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue for schools, roads, and public services. Imagine what that does for a rural school district that has been pinching every dollar for the past decade. This is revenue that doesn’t require raising taxes on the folks already living there. Imagine how great no tax increases will be. 

I know the concern that comes up at every town hall: Will local ratepayers get stuck with the bill? It is a fair question, and it deserves a real answer. The answer is in the details. One investor-owned utility has told lawmakers that large customers must sign a contract or look elsewhere. On another project, the company says it will pay 100% of the cost of providing electricity to the campus, with no incentives or discounts on electric rates. The fact is, communities and data centers can coexist, but that requires both entities to do their part.

What we should not do is let a fair debate over guidelines stall and die. Let’s not lose the business and economic growth to another state. Capital is mobile. These companies can build anywhere – Ohio, Texas, Georgia, or Indiana, to name a few interested in doing business with data centers, and trust me, their doors are open and they are willing to join in this economic boom for their states. Every month we spend talking is a month a competitor state spends closing a deal. Missouri needs this infrastructure buildout that comes with this growth, from a new generation of business to road and water upgrades, which will serve Missouri families long after the ribbon cuttings.

My ask of our public officials, both newly elected and the returning alike, in Jefferson City and in every county courthouse: Please pass clear, reasonable policies on power, water, and tax treatment. Invest in the workforce so these jobs go to Missourians first. And pick up the phone when the next company comes calling.

Elections are about choices, and we’ve made ours. Now comes the part that actually pays the bills. Missouri has the land, the workers, the central location, and the momentum. Let’s not waste it.

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