THE LAUNCH DOCK

A $15 Billion Promise: Who Actually Profits When Economic Development Comes to Town?

Author

Lyndsay LaBrier
May 21, 2026

Governor Kehoe Called This Economic Development. Missourians Deserve Actual Numbers.

Governor Mike Kehoe publicly praised Google’s proposed $15 billion data center project in Montgomery County as a major economic development victory for Missouri.

But instead of focusing on the size of the investment, Missourians should focus on where the money is actually going.

Because those are two very different conversations.

Where the $15 Billion Actually Goes

What Google Keeps

  • Ownership of the data center

  • Ownership of the servers and infrastructure

  • Ownership of the data

  • Ownership of the AI and cloud systems

  • Long-term profits generated through the facility

  • Expansion of Google’s national AI and cloud computing dominance

What Missouri Gets

  • Construction activity

  • A relatively small number of permanent jobs

  • Increased utility and infrastructure demand

  • Land dedicated to corporate infrastructure

  • Long-term dependency on outside corporate systems

That is the imbalance people are starting to recognize.

The Actual Job Numbers

According to publicly reported project information:

  • Google says the project will create more than 2,000 construction jobs

  • and approximately 200 permanent full-time jobs once operational

Two hundred permanent jobs.

That is what people need to understand.

Because when politicians say:
“$15 billion investment,”

ordinary people naturally picture:

  • thousands of long-term jobs,

  • economic transformation,

  • and widespread financial benefit for Missouri families.

But compared to the size of the project itself, the permanent workforce remains relatively small.

This is not a massive long-term employment project for Missouri workers.

It is a massive corporate infrastructure project.

Where the Construction and Development Money Goes

Further research into Project Spade shows the development is already tied to a network of corporate entities, utility systems, engineering firms, and infrastructure agreements extending beyond Missouri itself.

Verified Entities Connected to the Project

Company / Entity

Verified Connection

Based In

Google

End user/operator of Project Spade

California

Spade Property Owner LLC

Developer/property owner entity

New York

Ameren Missouri

Electric infrastructure and transmission support

Missouri

Utility Safety & Design, Inc. (USDI)

Engineering feasibility work tied to utility/pipeline relocation

Missouri

NuStar Pipeline Operating Partnership L.P.

Pipeline relocation agreements tied to development

Texas

That matters because politicians continue framing these projects as though billions of dollars are flowing directly into local Missouri communities and small local businesses.

But if:

  • the ownership structure is outside Missouri,

  • portions of the development ecosystem are outside Missouri,

  • and the long-term profits leave Missouri entirely,

then communities have every right to question how much of this “economic development” is actually staying here at all.

Because building corporate infrastructure inside Missouri is not automatically the same thing as building long-term prosperity for Missouri residents.

Where Some of the “Community Investment” Is Actually Going

Local officials and developers have highlighted investments tied to:

  • road improvements,

  • emergency service upgrades,

  • utility infrastructure expansion,

  • and industrial support systems in Montgomery County.

But communities should understand why many of those upgrades are happening.

Projects of this scale require:

  • heavy construction traffic access,

  • increased utility capacity,

  • industrial infrastructure expansion,

  • and stronger emergency response systems capable of supporting a large industrial facility.

So while these investments are being presented as community benefits, many of them are directly connected to supporting the operational needs of the data center itself.

That is an important distinction.

So How Much Tax Revenue Will Missouri Actually Keep?

This is another question politicians are not clearly answering.

Missouri already offers major tax exemptions and incentive programs specifically designed to attract hyperscale data centers.

Under Missouri law, qualifying data centers can receive exemptions on:

  • state sales taxes,

  • local sales taxes,

  • utility taxes,

  • construction-related purchases,

  • equipment,

  • and expansion costs for up to 15 years.

Missouri’s own program guidelines show projects can qualify with:

  • as few as 10 new full-time jobs

  • while receiving substantial tax advantages tied to hundreds of millions or billions in infrastructure investment.

At the same time, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, generates hundreds of billions in annual revenue globally.

So Missourians have every right to ask:

After incentives, abatements, exemptions, and infrastructure costs are factored in, how much long-term tax revenue will Missouri actually retain compared to the scale of the project itself?

Because if Missouri communities are expected to:

  • expand infrastructure,

  • increase utility capacity,

  • support industrial growth,

  • and absorb long-term operational strain,

while the majority of ownership, profits, and wealth leave the state entirely, then the actual long-term public return matters.

And right now, politicians keep repeating the size of the investment without clearly showing taxpayers what the long-term balance sheet for Missouri actually looks like.

What Leaves Missouri

The overwhelming majority of long-term wealth generated through:

  • AI systems,

  • cloud computing,

  • data storage,

  • digital advertising,

  • and Google’s infrastructure expansion

does not stay in Missouri.

It returns to:

  • Google,

  • Alphabet shareholders,

  • corporate investors,

  • and national corporate systems.

Meanwhile, Missouri communities absorb:

  • infrastructure strain,

  • utility demand,

  • land use changes,

  • and long-term industrial impact.

Governor Kehoe’s Political Priorities Are Already Clear

No, there is currently no verified evidence that Google directly donated to Governor Kehoe’s campaign.

But Governor Kehoe’s political network raised millions of dollars from:

  • corporate-aligned interests,

  • utilities,

  • PAC networks,

  • and business groups connected to Missouri’s economic development ecosystem.

And that matters because Missouri leadership is aggressively positioning Missouri as infrastructure for the AI economy.

Communities have every right to question whether Missourians are truly the priority in these decisions.

Because while none of this may technically be illegal, people are still allowed to question whether it is ethical.

And just like many residents criticized local commissioners for moving these projects forward before communities fully understood the long-term implications, residents have also questioned why state leadership aggressively promoted the projects without first seeking broader public input from Missourians that will be the most impacted by these decisions.

In response, organizations like the Missouri Rural Crisis Center have helped organize outreach efforts and surveys involving registered Montgomery County voters as concerns surrounding data center expansion continue growing locally.

Other States Are Already Slowing Down

Communities across the country are increasingly:

  • pausing,

  • restricting,

  • regulating,

  • or rejecting hyperscale data center expansion.

Why?

Because residents in other states are beginning to ask the same questions Missourians are now asking:

  • How much money actually stays local?

  • How many permanent jobs actually remain?

  • Who profits long term?

  • Who carries the infrastructure burden?

  • And are ordinary people actually becoming more financially secure because of these projects?

What This Could Realistically Mean for One Montgomery County Family

Imagine a Montgomery County family with two working parents and two children.

They hear:
“$15 billion investment.”

Naturally, they assume life in their community is about to become more affordable and more stable.

But what actually changes for them financially?

Probably not much.

Because most local residents will never work inside the data center.

And while the project may create temporary construction activity, the permanent workforce numbers remain relatively small compared to the scale of the investment itself.

Meanwhile, that same family is still dealing with:

  • rising grocery costs,

  • rising insurance costs,

  • rising utility bills,

  • rising housing costs,

  • fuel costs,

  • childcare expenses,

  • and everyday financial pressure.

For perspective:

  • Missouri families already spend thousands per year on utilities, childcare, insurance, and transportation alone.

  • Childcare for two children in Missouri can easily exceed $20,000 per year.

  • Residents in Montgomery County have already publicly raised concerns over utility costs, tax subsidies, land use, and infrastructure strain tied to the data center proposals.

So while Google continues generating billions through AI systems, cloud computing, and data infrastructure, ordinary Missouri families are still asking:

  • Can we afford groceries?

  • Can we afford childcare?

  • Can we afford to fix the car?

  • Can we afford property taxes?

  • Can we afford another increase in utility costs?

That is why people are questioning the imbalance.

Because if a $15 billion project enters Missouri and ordinary families still do not feel more financially secure afterward, then communities have every right to ask:

Who exactly was the economic development actually for?

Call to Action

Stop getting distracted by billion-dollar headlines.

Start asking:

  • How much money actually stays in Missouri?

  • How many permanent jobs actually remain?

  • Who owns the infrastructure?

  • Who keeps the profit?

  • Who carries the risk?

Because if the overwhelming majority of ownership, profits, and long-term wealth leave Missouri entirely, then this is not shared prosperity.

It is corporate infrastructure expansion.

Closing

Missourians are not anti-progress for asking hard questions.

They are finally paying attention to the difference between corporate growth and community prosperity.

A $15 billion project means nothing if ordinary families remain financially strained while corporations consolidate more wealth, more infrastructure, more data, and more power.

Missouri deserves more than headlines and political talking points.

It deserves transparency, accountability, and proof that these projects are actually building stronger communities instead of simply turning Missouri into infrastructure for corporate profit.

In solidarity,
Lyndsay LaBrier
The Merchant Ship Collective

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