OPINION:
Meta is undertaking a multimillion-dollar campaign to shape public opinion about data centers.
The ads, airing in state capitals from Sacramento to Tallahassee and filled with idyllic small-town imagery, are more than simple job promotions. They aim to influence policy debates before communities can fully weigh the trade-offs.
Rural America isn’t asking for polished marketing; it’s asking for transparency.
Communities across the country have good reason to be cautious when it comes to data centers. In many areas, data centers have raised concerns about rising energy costs, strained electrical grids and increased competition for limited water resources.
Too often, planning discussions happen behind closed doors, with little public input. As national reporting has shown, these ad campaigns attempt to shape the narrative before meaningful local conversations take place.
Here in Missouri, farmers and landowners are already engaged. At the annual national meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Missouri Farm Bureau introduced strong policy language on data centers that delegates overwhelmingly adopted. Our approach is rooted in local control, responsible resource management and genuine transparency, not public relations strategies.
We recognize that data centers can bring investment and jobs to rural communities, but that development must respect agricultural water supplies, local electrical grids and private property rights.
Our policy calls for:
• Greater transparency from county officials on site selection and negotiations before public comment.
• Public reporting of projected water use and adoption of water-efficient technologies.
• Priority water access for residential use, animal agriculture and irrigation during drought or extreme weather.
• Responsible energy planning that ensures residential and agricultural needs come first, with large users paying appropriate rates.
These are not extreme demands. They are commonsense safeguards that allow communities to weigh economic opportunity against real impacts to infrastructure and quality of life.
Our message is simple: Talk to us. If companies want support for data center projects, then they must engage communities early and honestly.
GARRETT HAWKINS
President, Missouri Farm Bureau
Appleton City, Missouri
Please read our comment policy before commenting.