Kansas Data Center Moratorium Tracker
Kansas has 1 state-level data-center restriction in force. 24 city and county measures are tracked here, 19 of them in force. Every entry below links to its primary source: a legislature page, a governor's office, a local government, or the reporting of record.
Kansas
KS
In force
6
State-level measures on record, 1 in force
24
City and county measures, 19 in force
29
Primary sources cited on this page
#20
of 50 states with anything on record, by measure count
State-level measures in Kansas
Every statewide moratorium, pause, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback in Kansas we can verify against a primary source. Strongest status first.
| Measure | Status | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB98Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment | In force 2025-04 | Kansas SB98 (2025-2026 Regular Session): Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment, eligible data center costs and certain labor costs. Last action 2025-04-11: Senate Approved by Governor on Thursday, April 24, 2025. | |
| HB 2450Substitute for HB 2450 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling | Failed / vetoed 2024-04 | Kansas HB 2450 (2023-2024): Substitute for HB 2450 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas. Last action 2024-04-30: Died on Calendar. | |
| SB 545Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment | Failed / vetoed 2024-04 | Kansas SB 545 (2023-2024): Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment, eligible data center costs. Last action 2024-04-30: Died on Calendar. | |
| SB 400Kansas SB 400 would require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems (no water evaporation) and authorize municipalities, local district attorneys | Failed / vetoed 2026-01 | Kansas SB 400 would require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems (no water evaporation) and authorize municipalities, local district attorneys, and the state attorney general to sue for injunctions against violators. Introduced as part of the 2026 wave of state-level data center water/energy regulation legislation. Kansas is shifting focus from incentives (SB 98 passed in 2025 created a hyperscale sales tax exemption) to environmental regulation. The Kansas City Council changed zoning in January 2026 to make data centers harder to build, signaling local-level pushback complementing state legislation. SB 400 (closed-loop cooling / AG enforcement) died in committee when Kansas adjourned sine die April 11, 2026. | |
| SB 526Kansas: SB 526 adds a zoning requirement to Kansas's existing SB 98 data center sales tax exemption program, mandating that data centers must be located | Failed / vetoed 2026-03 | SB 526 adds a zoning requirement to Kansas's existing SB 98 data center sales tax exemption program, mandating that data centers must be located on land zoned for industrial or manufacturing uses, or land that was unzoned as of July 1, 2025, to qualify for the 20-year, 100% sales and use tax exemption. The bill responds to concerns about data centers being sited on agricultural land, particularly as multiple companies seek to acquire more than 1,000 acres of Kansas farmland for new facilities. SB 526 (industrial-zoning requirement for tax-exemption eligibility) died in committee; KS sine die April 11, 2026. | |
| SB 531Ban on new large data centers in drought counties | Failed / vetoed 2026-07 | Would have prohibited new large-load data centers (10 MW+) in any county with a drought emergency declared in the prior three years. Died in committee. |
City and county moratoria in Kansas
Most of the movement is local, where a building pause or permit halt does not need a legislative session. 24 tracked measures in Kansas, each with its source.
Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS
2026-07
Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS data center moratorium
Americus City Council held a listening session on the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus (developer Kanza Park Place; publicly described as a potential gigawatt-scale, roughly 1,000-acre data center campus west of Emporia) but took no formal action, explicitly declining to file any motion in order to prioritize public comment. Emporia Neighbors United founder Jay Vehige urged the city to take time and do thorough research; the group reported collecting nearly 1,850 signatures in the prior week opposing high-impact data centers and battery storage, up from roughly 1,400 signatures submitted July 8 that the Lyon County Clerk rejected as non-compliant with Kansas petition-witnessing requirements. The project remains at the announced/proposed stage with no permits issued. Lyon County Commissioners approved a 10-day 'stopgap' freeze on new data-center and solar-farm permit applications (through Aug 1, 2026) and directed County Legal Counsel to draft a six-month moratorium for a vote at the commission's next regular meeting on 2026-07-24. Kansas Reflector investigative reporting found that Gary Pinkston, the public face of the Flint Hills Digital Campus, swore under oath in a federal bankruptcy proceeding that he has 'no interest at all' in the project and denied any relationship with Kanza Park Place LLC (the registered developer entity), which he said is owned by his daughters.
Bourbon County Commission
2026-06
Bourbon County Commission data center moratorium
Bourbon County Commission approved a 365-day development moratorium (Resolution 24-26) by a 3-0 vote, with Commissioners Joe Allen and Gregg Motley abstaining, covering utility-scale power generation, crypto mining, data centers, and waste disposal; the county also selected Confluence as its planning/zoning consultant.
City of Lawrence (Douglas County)
2026-07
City of Lawrence (Douglas County) data center moratorium
The Lawrence City Commission unanimously approved a 2-year moratorium on large-scale data centers, extended from an originally proposed 1-year moratorium, and initiated a text amendment to close a by-right zoning loophole. This is a City of Lawrence action, distinct from the Douglas County Commission's separate text-amendment/de-facto pause (see douglas-county-ks-text-amendment-2026-05-06).
El Dorado
2026-07
City moratorium on data centers through November 30, 2026
Moratorium on high-impact data centers (>10 MW or >100k gal/day water) and Tier 2/3 battery storage; enacted while city deals with citizen petition (700+ signatures) seeking permanent ban. The measure runs to November 30, 2026 and applies at a threshold of 10 MW.
Franklin County
2026-09
Moratorium on data center special use permits through 2028
The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution on September 2, 2026 imposing a temporary moratorium on the planning, establishment, construction and special use permit applications for data centers in unincorporated Franklin County. The moratorium runs through December 31, 2028 unless repealed earlier or extended.
Geary County
2026-06
One-year data center moratorium
On June 22, 2026, Geary County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center development in unincorporated Geary County. The moratorium also covers alternative energy projects and crypto mining.
Harvey County
2026-01
Harvey County data center moratorium
Harvey County Commission unanimously approved a moratorium on data center construction in unincorporated areas through the end of 2028 (roughly three years). Commissioner Don Schroeder explained the moratorium gives the planning department and zoning board time to research and design regulations, as the county currently has no zoning rules for data centers, crypto mining, or related facilities. Concerns centered on water use from the Equus Beds Aquifer. Nearby Andale and Colwich residents pushed back against proposed projects, citing the importance of preserving their farming and ranching community character.
Kingman County
2026-02
County moratorium on data centers
Resolution No. 2026-R9 imposing temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated county. The measure has no documented term.
Lawrence
2026-07
City moratorium on data centers through July 14, 2028
24-month moratorium unanimously approved on large-scale data center development; originally proposed as 1-year, extended to 2; also initiated text amendment to land development code. The measure runs to July 14, 2028.
Lyon County
2026-07
Local moratorium on data centers through January 22, 2027
Resolution 12-26: 6-month pause on new data center and battery energy storage projects, unanimous, running through Jan 22, 2027, to let the county strengthen zoning rules. A companion Resolution 13-26 pauses utility-scale solar through Dec 1, 2026. Unincorporated areas only, it does not reach Emporia's Flint Hills Digital Campus. Outlets split on the vote date between Thu Jul 23 and Fri Jul 24; Jul 23 is the Thursday. The measure runs to January 22, 2027.
Marysville
2026-09
12-month moratorium on data center applications
The Marysville City Council unanimously adopted a 12-month temporary moratorium on data centers on Monday, September 14, 2026. No application to develop or establish a data center will be accepted, processed or approved while the Planning Commission studies amendments to the zoning ordinance. The moratorium runs to September 2027.
McPherson County
2026-01
County moratorium on data centers with no end date
Resolution 2026-21; permanent ban on data centers and utility-scale battery storage in unincorporated areas. Voted 3-0. Replaced earlier moratorium from summer 2025. The measure has no end date by design.
Miami County
2026-01
County moratorium on data centers for a stated term
Three-year moratorium restricting data centers, battery storage, and similar technologies in unincorporated areas; excludes Osawatomie's in-city Project Catalyst site. The measure has a stated duration whose end date is not recorded.
Riley County
2026-05
Temporary data center moratorium
Riley County commissioners signed a resolution May 18, 2026 pausing data centers and battery storage through Nov. 12, 2026 while officials study impacts.
Saline County
2026-03
Three-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities
Saline County Commission voted 4-0 on March 17, 2026 to adopt a moratorium on new data center, nuclear and hydrogen-energy applications in unincorporated areas until March 1, 2029.
Sedgwick County
2026-01
Interim data center development moratorium
Sedgwick County commissioners first imposed a data center moratorium in January 2026 and extended it 90 days (through Sept. 11, 2026) on May 6, 2026.
Shawnee County
2026-08
Local moratorium on data centers through February 17, 2027
2-1: no final action on data center land use applications until Feb 17, 2027. Applications may still be filed, Compass Datacenters can resubmit, they just cannot be decided. The measure runs to February 17, 2027.
South Hutchinson
2026-05
City moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027
One-year moratorium on large-scale data centers and battery energy storage systems; revised after original draft would have halted even small-scale container-sized data centers. The measure runs to May 26, 2027.
Topeka
2026-07
Local moratorium on data centers through July 14, 2027
Unanimously approved 12-month moratorium on data centers and battery storage. Later amended to restrict utility connections both inside and outside city limits for data centers. Shawnee County (already in registry) separately approved 6-month moratorium. The measure runs to July 14, 2027.
Emporia
2026-08
Proposed local moratorium on data centers
Citizen initiative to ban high-impact data centers, ordered onto the Nov 2026 ballot by the Lyon County District Court after the city commission asked the court to review it. The petition followed zoning changes the commission approved earlier in 2026 that would allow data centers in the city. NOT settled: the declaratory judgment action on whether the measure is a proper subject for citizen initiative under Kansas law is still pending, and a yes vote may not take effect until it is decided. A parallel petition on battery energy storage is also before the court. Distinct from the Lyon County resolution, which covers unincorporated land only. The measure has no documented term.
Pottawatomie County
Proposed county moratorium on data centers
Public hearing Aug 20 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Wamego; 125-150 attendees; 33 speakers mostly called for moratorium. County was developing data center overlay district regulations. No moratorium enacted, county chose regulatory path instead. A petition also circulated calling for pause. The measure has no documented term.
Edgerton (DAMAC data center denied; 6-month moratorium also denied), KS
2026-06
Six-month data center moratorium (denied 3-2)
After the Edgerton Planning Commission denied the DAMAC Digital data center proposal 3-2 on June 11, 2026, the City Council considered a six-month moratorium on new data center applications. The council voted 3-2 to deny the moratorium on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
Gardner (data center moratorium failed for lack of a second), KS
2026-06
Gardner (data center moratorium failed for lack of a second), KS data center moratorium (failed)
On June 1, 2026 a proposed six-month data center moratorium FAILED at the Gardner (KS) City Council, Councilmember Kelly Johnson's motion died for lack of a second; Vice President Kacy Deaton argued the city retains flexibility to 'require more' from developers. Residents had pushed for an 18-month pause and zoning definitions. (Distinct from the prior Gardner Beale-project withdrawal entry.) Neighboring Edgerton set its own moratorium consideration for June 11.
Leavenworth County
2026-05
Expired county moratorium on data centers through August 11, 2026
90-day moratorium passed 4-1 re: Project Bluestem (1,000-acre hyperscale DC near Tonganoxie). Extension failed 3-2 on Aug 5. Moratorium expired ~Aug 11. Board voted 4-1 on Aug 13 to revisit a hold before new commission in January but did not formally re-enact. Community group retained attorney for legal fight. The measure runs to August 11, 2026.
Where Kansas stands
Across the whole tracker we hold 334 state-level measures in 49 states and 1253 city and county measures, against 1419 primary sources. Kansas accounts for 6 of the state-level measures and 24 of the local ones.
By total measures on record it is #20 of the 50 states and DC carrying any tracked action, and #20 by city and county measures alone. Ranking is by count of sourced entries in this dataset, so it measures documented activity, not the size of the buildout.
Sources for Kansas
29 citations behind the entries above. Each opens in a new tab.
- Statewide · SB98 — Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment kslegislature.gov →
- Statewide · HB 2450 — Substitute for HB 2450 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling kslegislature.org →
- Statewide · SB 545 — Providing a sales tax exemption for the construction or remodeling of a qualified data center in Kansas and the purchase of data center equipment kslegislature.org →
- Statewide · SB 400 — Kansas SB 400 would require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems (no water evaporation) and authorize municipalities, local district attorneys kslegislature.gov →
- Statewide · SB 526 — Kansas: SB 526 adds a zoning requirement to Kansas's existing SB 98 data center sales tax exemption program, mandating that data centers must be located kslegislature.gov →
- Statewide · SB 531 — Ban on new large data centers in drought counties servercountry.org →
- Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS — Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS data center moratorium writing.strisker.com →
- Bourbon County Commission — Bourbon County Commission data center moratorium bourboncountymonitor.com →
- City of Lawrence (Douglas County) and 1 other locality — 2 separate measures, cited together lawrencekstimes.com →
- El Dorado — City moratorium on data centers through November 30, 2026 kake.com →
- Franklin County — Moratorium on data center special use permits through 2028 ransonfinancial.com →
- Geary County — One-year data center moratorium ksnt.com →
- Harvey County — Harvey County data center moratorium kwch.com →
- Kingman County — County moratorium on data centers kcnonline.com →
- Lyon County — Local moratorium on data centers through January 22, 2027 emporiagazette.com →
- Marysville — 12-month moratorium on data center applications marysvilleonline.net →
- McPherson County — County moratorium on data centers with no end date citizenjournal.us →
- Miami County — County moratorium on data centers for a stated term kshb.com →
- Riley County — Temporary data center moratorium themercury.com →
- Saline County — Three-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities salina311.com →
- Sedgwick County — Interim data center development moratorium kwch.com →
- Shawnee County — Local moratorium on data centers through February 17, 2027 wibw.com →
- South Hutchinson — City moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027 hutchtribune.com →
- Topeka — Local moratorium on data centers through July 14, 2027 ksnt.com →
- Emporia — Proposed local moratorium on data centers wibw.com →
- Pottawatomie County — Proposed county moratorium on data centers themercury.com →
- Edgerton (DAMAC data center denied; 6-month moratorium also denied), KS — Six-month data center moratorium (denied 3-2) yahoo.com →
- Gardner (data center moratorium failed for lack of a second), KS — Gardner (data center moratorium failed for lack of a second), KS data center moratorium (failed) johnsoncountypost.com →
- Leavenworth County — Expired county moratorium on data centers through August 11, 2026 kshb.com →
What does bind large loads in Kansas
A moratorium is only one way a data center gets stopped. The grid operator decides whether it can connect at all, and on what terms. Kansas sits in 1 footprint.
SPPDominant
Speed in exchange for curtailability under the approved HILL framework.
Entire state effectively SPP (Evergy Kansas, Sunflower, Midwest Energy).
States next door
4 of the 4 states bordering Kansas have at least one data-center measure on record. Restrictions tend to travel between neighbors, so this is usually where the next one comes from.
Data centers in Kansas
The US Data Center Map identifies 20 facilities run by 11 operators in Kansas, each one placed from primary sources and listed by city and by operator, with the measures on this page beside them.
Open the Kansas data center map → · The US Data Center Map →
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How to read this page
In force = a moratorium, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback that is currently enacted, by statute or executive order. Paused = a temporary hold on new incentives or applications. Proposed = introduced and still pending. Failed / vetoed = died in committee, was voted down, or was vetoed.
This page is generated from the same primary-sourced dataset as the national U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker and is re-checked on the same weekly cycle, whether or not anything changed. Legislative status changes quickly; it is informational, not legal advice. Spot something out of date in Kansas? Tell us.
Companion references: the Data Center Grid Operator Watchlist for the interconnection and curtailment rules that bind here, the Data Center Water Tracker for water mandates, and the Data Center Delay Watchlist for named projects.
Why Kansas is pushing back
The objections repeat from state to state: strain on the electric grid, water drawn for cooling, and the sense that a facility takes local resources without giving much back. SAVRN builds AI factories designed around those three objections: on-site power that does not lean on the public grid, direct-to-chip cooling that does not consume municipal water, and a training institute that puts local people to work inside the building.
See how a SAVRN factory works Talk to us about a Kansas site