Data Centers Emerge as Unifying Issue for Diverse Political Factions in Kansas
Data center proposals across Kansas are fostering an unusual political alliance, uniting both left and right-leaning anti-establishment activists in opposition. Critics raise concerns about data centers' massive consumption of water and electricity, along with land use and job creation. One project in Spring Hill was withdrawn after pushback, while developer Triple Oak claims a Finney County data center would significantly reduce water use compared to farmland.
An opinion piece by Michael A. Smith, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas, highlights an emerging political phenomenon in Kansas: data center proposals are uniting anti-establishment activists from both the political left and right. This unusual coalition is forming across various counties and cities, including Sedgwick, Sumner, Butler, Finney, Spring Hill, and Tonganoxie, as residents voice strong opposition to these developments.
Critics of data centers cite concerns over their extensive resource demands, particularly massive water consumption for cooling and high electricity usage, which often necessitates dedicated power plants or large solar arrays. They also worry about the vast tracts of land required, questioning the long-term job creation beyond the construction phase, and expressing distrust in the industry's claims and local governments' agreements. As an example of successful pushback, a data center proposal in Spring Hill was withdrawn, and in Independence, Missouri, officials who approved data center tax breaks were subsequently voted out of office.
Proponents, on the other hand, emphasize technological progress, economic growth, and the necessity of competing with other nations. Triple Oak, a developer for a proposed Finney County data center, claims that converting farmland to a data center would slash the site's water consumption by 80%, largely relying on air cooling. However, critics remain skeptical of such industry assurances.
The unique political alignment sees conservatives opposing the repurposing of agricultural land for out-of-state tech interests and distrusting big tech, while liberals raise alarms about billionaires profiting at public expense, environmental impact, and the potential negative effects of expanding technology on mental health and jobs. This growing, cross-cutting backlash, according to Smith, has the potential to reshape the state's political landscape, potentially leading to new regulations or moratoriums on data center development, a stance favored by a candidate for the Kansas Legislature whom Smith is assisting.