What's the impact of having 10 hyperscale data centers in the KC metro? Experts weigh in

The Kansas City metropolitan area is experiencing a boom in hyperscale data center development, with at least 10 proposals, some of which are already operational across cities like Kansas City, Smithville, De Soto, Osawatomie, KCK, Liberty, and Tonganoxie. The most recent proposal, "Project Bluestem" in Tonganoxie, was brought before the Leavenworth County Commission. University of Michigan associate professor Michael Craig and Steven Anthony, Vice President of Business Development for the Economic Development Council of Kansas City, weighed in on the potential impacts. Experts, including Craig, warn that the predicted explosive growth in AI and the resulting resource-hungry data centers could strain the metro's electric and water infrastructure. Craig highlighted that increased data center consumption would lead to more electricity generation, primarily from natural gas and coal plants, incurring environmental and public health costs. Utility provider Evergy, which services data centers for companies like Google and Meta, has implemented a new, higher rate structure for large-load customers. Chuck Caisley, Evergy's chief customer officer, stated that existing customers would not see a spike in bills because data centers are paying for upfront capacity upgrades, potentially making the grid more reliable and less costly for current customers. However, environmental and pollution costs remain a concern. The article also touches on the financial implications for municipalities if data center companies withdraw from contracts.