Mississippi River mayors help cities navigate rising data center interest

More than three-quarters of member cities in a Mississippi River coalition have been approached to host AI infrastructure.

Melisa Logan, mayor of Blytheville, Ark., speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, on the bank of the Mississippi River in Natchez, Miss., where mayors representing more than 100 Mississippi River Basin communities met to announce a new framework and wishlist for data center proposals. (Courtesy: Katherine Bish Photography)

By Héctor Alejandro Arzate
The Louisiana Illuminator

Mississippi River mayors came together this week to help river communities evaluate data center proposals, as the facilities continue to rapidly expand across the basin. 

There are already more than 3,000 active data centers throughout the United States, including in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee. Multiple facilities are taking shape in Louisiana.

As the need for artificial intelligence and data storage grows, more local leaders are being approached by companies interested in building data centers in their communities. About three-quarters of the data centers currently planned are in the South or Midwest, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. 

Read More: https://lailluminator.com/2026/09/18/mayors-data-center/