Nasdaq-listed AI company, Nebius (NBIS), said the Independence City Council has approved a Chapter 100 industrial development incentive plan for its planned AI factory campus in Missouri.
The proposed AI factory is expected to have a potential capacity of up to 1.2 gigawatts and will play a key role in Nebius’s expansion strategy in the United States. The company already operates in the Kansas City area and views the Independence campus as central to its long-term growth in the country.
Speaking on the development, Arkady Volozh, CEO of Nebius, said, “Independence will be our largest AI factory in the United States to date, and we are fully committed to making it a project the city is proud of. This is our first project of this scale, but not the last.”
The company said the project will be developed as a multi-building campus spread across around 400 acres, with the construction phase expected to generate approximately 1,200 skilled jobs largely among local building trades, while about 130 permanent high technology roles are anticipated once the facility becomes operational.
Commenting on the announcement, John Sutter, VP US Public Affairs at Nebius, said, “We are building AI infrastructure at scale, and we are doing it in a way that genuinely works for the communities where we operate. We are grateful to everyone who supported this project, and we intend to earn the trust of all Independence residents — not through promises, but through results.”
The AI factory will incorporate infrastructure designed to manage environmental impact, including a closed-loop cooling system intended to keep water consumption comparable to that of a typical restaurant or office building. The campus also include noise reduction technology and will connect to Independence Power & Light, the city’s municipally owned utility, with the project structured in a way that the company says will not increase residential power rates.
Under the approved agreement and associated tax incentive package, Nebius will make Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) that will deliver over $650 million to the city, local school districts, and other taxing jurisdictions over the 20-year term.
The company has also outlined a community benefits plan that includes support for STEM and artificial intelligence literacy programs in local schools, workforce development initiatives, assistance for first responders, and the creation of a Community Engagement Panel aimed at maintaining ongoing dialogue with residents of Independence.
