A second major data center project has been proposed in De Soto near Panasonic battery plant
Digital Realty has proposed "Astra North," a large data center campus in De Soto, Kansas, near the Panasonic battery plant. Preliminary plans for the $4 billion first phase, including nine buildings and two substations requiring 600 MW of power, were presented to the De Soto City Council. This project, alongside another by Beale Infrastructure, has generated significant community opposition due to its scale and proximity to schools.
Digital Realty, a global data center developer, has proposed a second major data center project, "Astra North," in De Soto, Kansas, adjacent to the existing Panasonic battery plant. The company recently acquired 1,435 acres within De Soto's Astra Enterprise Park and presented preliminary plans for the first phase of development to the De Soto City Council on June 4. The initial phase, spanning 280 acres, includes nine data center buildings totaling approximately 1 million square feet, two substations (one to be built by Evergy), and a planned requirement of 600 megawatts of power.
The project, anticipated to cost around $4 billion for the first phase excluding equipment, also outlines a large industrial-scale solar facility and a stormwater detention facility. Digital Realty Senior Vice President Rafal Rak highlighted the benefits of developing the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant site, citing its industrial history and potential tax revenue. The company plans to utilize outside air for cooling, with occasional evaporative cooling needing water from De Soto, and intends to fund a new industrial wastewater treatment plant for water reuse. The first phase is expected to create over 1,000 construction jobs and 250 full-time operational jobs.
This proposed development follows another data center project by Beale Infrastructure in De Soto, which is also expected to be a large power user. Both projects have drawn significant opposition from community members, who expressed concerns about the scale of data center development, their proximity to schools, and a desire for more thoughtful leadership and transparency from city officials. Formal plans for Digital Realty's Astra North have yet to be submitted to the city.