Western Kansas data center project might use less water than farming
Triple Oak Power plans to build a data center and renewable energy complex on 6,000 acres of farmland near Garden City, Finney County, Kansas. The project, which recently received a special use permit, promises to use significantly less water than the current agricultural irrigation on the property. Despite the potential water savings, the project faces strong local opposition due to concerns about overall water usage, soil erosion from solar panel installation, and a perceived lack of transparency from the company and county officials.
Triple Oak Power is proposing a significant data center and renewable energy project on 6,000 acres of farmland in Finney County, Kansas, near Garden City. The company, through representatives Ann Gravatt and Jesse Gronner, asserts that the proposed data center, powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and a natural gas plant, would use 600 million gallons of water annually, which is five times less than the current irrigation demands of the property.
Despite the projected water savings compared to agriculture, the project faces considerable skepticism and opposition from local residents, including brothers Tucker and Jackson Turner, who have created a Facebook page called "Stop Finney County Kansas Data Center." Opponents express doubts about Triple Oak Power's claims, fear potential soil erosion from large-scale solar panel installation on sandy soil, and are concerned about water quality issues and a general lack of transparency.
Finney County officials, including Lona Duvall from the Finney County Economic Development Corporation, have approved a special use permit for the project, citing potential economic benefits like $80 million in taxes over 30 years and 600 construction jobs. Groundwater Management District 3 engineer Trevor Ahring acknowledged the water reduction benefits, stating the project would save substantial amounts of water compared to current farming practices. However, Melissa Scanlon, Director of the Center for Water Policy, highlighted a broader issue of lacking regional and state-level planning and regulation for data centers. Triple Oak Power has been reticent to release full project specifics pending a deal with a digital infrastructure company.