Shawnee County Considers Compass Datacenters Project Amid Local Opposition and Topeka Moratorium
Compass Datacenters has submitted a conditional use permit application for a new data center campus near Topeka in Shawnee County, Kansas. The proposal faces scrutiny over potential noise, electricity, and water impacts, and has drawn local opposition. Concurrently, the City of Topeka enacted a one-year moratorium on data centers.
Compass Datacenters has submitted a conditional use permit (CUP) application to Shawnee County for a data center campus southwest of Topeka, Kansas. The proposed project would span over 600 acres of unincorporated land, currently zoned for light industrial use, and feature 10 single-story buildings and an on-site electrical substation. The company, a self-funded developer with 15 years of experience, emphasizes its commitment to responsible development, promising self-funded power infrastructure, zero municipal water for cooling, job creation, and long-term community partnerships.
The project plans indicate a critical power load of 400 megawatts, which utility provider Evergy states is comparable to the electricity use of 75,000 homes on a hot day. Evergy also noted that data centers' consistent energy use can benefit all customers by helping to stabilize rates and fund infrastructure improvements. Compass Datacenters plans to use air-cooled and closed-loop hybrid cooling systems, claiming very low water consumption. Noise from cooling equipment and backup generators is expected to be mitigated by engineered designs, substantial setbacks, and buffering beyond district requirements.
Topeka engineering firm Bartlett & West is providing technical due diligence and support for the CUP application, assisting with local regulations, utility coordination, and infrastructure analysis. Compass Datacenters projects the campus would create nearly 650 local jobs and contribute over $75 million annually to the Gross Domestic Product and $150 million in local property taxes. The company recently hosted an open house in Shawnee County to inform residents about the project.
Despite the proposed benefits, local residents have voiced opposition, raising concerns about water and electricity consumption, noise, and the overall impact of data centers. Separately, the Topeka City Council passed a one-year moratorium on data centers in mid-July. Shawnee County's Land Use & Development department initially labeled Compass Datacenters' CUP application as "incomplete," but the company plans to re-file with additional information.