Evergy exec says 'data centers are going to happen' | Exclusive
Topeka City Council enacted a 12-month moratorium on data center development in response to local opposition. Residents and advocates are now pushing Shawnee County Commissioners for similar protections, citing concerns about environmental impacts and proximity to sensitive facilities. Developers like Beetle, Digital Realty, and Colossus are actively pursuing projects in the region, including in Spring Hill.
Megan Ryan, representing Protect Kansas, highlighted the recent unanimous vote by the Topeka City Council to implement a 12-month moratorium on data center projects, marking a significant win for local residents. She stated that the next objective is to engage the Shawnee County Commissioners, as proposed data center developments are slated for unincorporated areas of the county. Ryan described the opposition as "the resistance," comprising concerned citizens, utility professionals, public health experts, and healthcare professionals who are researching and advocating for protective measures, urging to "hit the brakes and build protections for the people."
Another resident expressed alarm over the proximity of a proposed hyperscale data center to the state hospital and Sunflower Recovery, an addiction treatment facility in Topeka, located just a couple of hundred yards away. This is considered an unprecedented situation. The speaker also referenced the "Ad Astra" area, a previously contaminated site that was pre-zoned industrial, which complicated early efforts to control development. Adjacent farmland was later purchased by a developer.
The transcript details ongoing developer activity. A developer named Beetle initially promised four small data centers on purchased farmland but is now actively moving land for four hyperscale facilities. Additionally, Digital Realty has acquired 1,400 acres in the Astor area and plans nine hyperscale data centers on 300 acres, leaving considerable room for further expansion. Separately, a resident from Spring Hill, Kansas, shared his experience of learning about a hyperscale data center project by Colossus planned 820 feet from his home, following the city's annexation of 300 acres of farmland for the developer.