An independent investigative newsletter and forthcoming nonfiction book by Änna Farrar.
The AI Factory Next Door began with questions about a proposed data center and nearby electrical infrastructure in Warren County, Missouri, in 2025. That local investigation expanded into reporting on the public decisions, utility systems, financial incentives and physical supply chains behind artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Published on Substack, the series draws on public records, regulatory filings, local meetings and firsthand reporting to examine how industrial development changes communities, who participates in those decisions and who carries the costs.
Read The AI Factory Next Door on Substack | Browse the complete publication archive
A record of the reporting
The following is a selected, chronological reading list. Dates are the original publication dates shown on Substack.
2025
Nov 23, 2025 | The Man Inside the Machine. An early public chapter explicitly identified with The AI Factory Next Door.
Dec 3, 2025 | A $5 Million “Recovery” Grant for an AI Mega-site. Traces COVID-era industrial-site funding in Montgomery County.
Dec 9, 2025 | The Real AI Factory Is Under Our Feet. Explores critical minerals and the broader infrastructure supply chain.
Dec 10, 2025 | What Project “Spade” Really Is. Examines the planning and public records behind a Montgomery County development.
Dec 14, 2025 | The Ameren Mega-site Agreement and the LLCS Tariff. Compares the power-infrastructure agreement with Missouri’s large-load tariff.
2026
Jan 25, 2026 | Policy, Money, and the “Invisible Buildout”. Follows incentives, utility rules and public financing before site announcements.
May 21, 2026 | The Movement of Money Is a Map of Power. Follows public records and political financing around Missouri’s AI buildout.
Aug 12, 2026 | Manufactured Necessity. Investigates utility planning, large-load demand and the costs of new generation.
Aug 30, 2026 | Before the Grid. Explains how MISO’s future scenarios shape long-range transmission planning.
Sep 14, 2026 | Moving Missouri at Ludicrous Speed. Reports on a statewide development system extending beyond individual data centers.
For the complete collection, including later work and future updates, visit the Substack archive.
The forthcoming book
The AI Factory Next Door is also the working title of Änna Farrar’s forthcoming narrative nonfiction book, developed alongside the reporting. Publication details, an early-release plan and preorder availability have not yet been announced.
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In the press and public record
Selected outside reporting and public records documenting the development of the research, community organizing and public participation.
Independent reporting
January 6, 2026 | St. Louis Magazine, Eric Schmid: Rural Missouri is quickly becoming a new battleground over data center development. Interviews Änna Farrar about rural land use, transparency, public participation and development along the I-70 corridor.
June 15, 2026 | KBIA / Columbia Missourian: Residents fill information gaps as data centers come knocking. Reports on community-led investigation, Sunshine requests and the work behind the newsletter. Related republication: Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, June 22. These are versions of the same reporting, not two independent stories.
June 25, 2026 | WWNO, Louisiana: Here’s what communities can do when data centers arrive. A separate reported article about civic engagement, public-records requests and residents organizing; includes Farrar’s work with WCCRD.
September 9, 2026 | KFMO, Park Hills: Desloge Town Hall Brings Residents Together to Discuss Data Centers. Covers Farrar’s comments on local public participation and statewide protections at a St. Francois County public meeting.
September 9, 2026 | My Mo Info, southeast Missouri: Data Center Meeting Engages Community. Separate local reporting on the Desloge town hall, identifying Farrar among the speakers with residents and state representatives.
Participation documented in public records
August 20, 2025 | Warrenton Board of Aldermen meeting coverage: Residents press board for information on proposed data center. A meeting-summary record of the questions Farrar raised during public comment, including project identity, infrastructure costs and water use. This is an automated meeting summary, not an independently reported interview.
September 11, 2025 | Missouri Public Service Commission: Public comment in Ameren’s large-load tariff proceeding (ET-2025-0184). The official docket lists a comment submitted in Farrar’s name asking that exceptional large-load costs be appropriately allocated rather than shifted to ordinary customers.
These examples are selective. They document different forms of participation: research and published work, press interviews, comments during public meetings and formal comments to state regulators. They are not a claim that every article cited the author’s original reporting.
About the author
Änna Farrar is a Warrenton, Missouri-based writer, researcher and community advocate. Her work follows the relationships between industrial development, utilities, public policy and communities. She founded Warren County Citizens for Responsible Development (WCCRD), a platform for local public information and civic participation.
The AI Factory Next Door is Farrar’s independent writing and reporting project.