Project Cumulus (CRG/Clayco, St. Charles)
CRG, Clayco's development arm, withdrew its 440-acre Project Cumulus AI data center in St. Charles in August 2025 after heavy opposition, and the city later banned data centers. Also known as: Project Cumulus, CRG Cumulus.
Who is behind it
The record, newest first
The council voted 7-1 to leave data centers out of all permitted and conditional uses, effectively a permanent ban; Clayco's founder had argued the project would have funded water system upgrades. (St. Louis Public Radio, May 20, 2026; KMOV First Alert 4, May 18, 2026)
The city council adopted a one-year moratorium on data center projects. (KMOV First Alert 4 (via KFVS12), Aug. 23, 2025)
CRG told the city it was pulling the application from the next day's council agenda, saying it would revise the plan. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via GovTech), Aug. 19, 2025; St. Louis Public Radio (via KBIA), Aug. 19, 2025; DCD, Aug. 22, 2025)
The planning and zoning commission recommended the site plan but not the conditional use permit for fuel storage and generators in a wellhead protection district. (DCD, July 25, 2025)
Conflicts and open questions
- DCD alternately attributes the planning review to the county and to the City of St. Charles commission; the site is within the city.
- MW never reported.
- CRG later pursued a campus in Festus (see crg-festus).
The full record
- Status note
- CRG withdrew its conditional use permit application the day before the council vote; the city then adopted a moratorium (Aug. 2025) and a permanent ban (May 2026).
- Evidence
- News reports; primary records not yet obtained
- Size class
- 50 MW or more (tracker scope)